Love Like This
by TinyDancer365
Summary: A companion piece to "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This", "You and I", and "Does This Darkness Have A Name?" So we all know and love Cassandra Emerson from The Vampire Diaries, but what about the actress that was chosen to play her? Ian/OC
1. Screen Test

**So we all know and love Cassandra Emerson from The Vampire Diaries, but what about the actress that was chosen to play her?**

**This is a crazy idea of mine and I don't know how far this will go but if you guys give it love than I'll continue. No lemons yet but I'm keeping the rating at M because I would like add lemons. Who wouldn't wanna read a lemon with Ian Somerhalder ;)**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate (her name might change later on) and my story**

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><p>Kate's eyes fluttered open taking in the hotel room she was currently residing in. She took a deep breath in as she felt her nerves taking over her. Her eyes flicked to the clock <em>1:45a.m.<em> it read and Kate heard her phone vibrate from the bedside table. She reached over, unplugged it from the charger and read the endless list of messages.

_Good luck today!_

_Go get 'em girl!_

_You'll be amazing!_

_Love you baby girl! Give em hell today!_

A smile came to Kate's lips seeing all of the messages from her friends and family. Today would be her first day shooting on the set of The Vampire Diaries. Letting that sink in, Kate felt her nerves skyrocket. She was nervous as hell since this was going to be her big break. Truthfully she didn't think she'd get it. When she auditioned they had her read the part of Elena/Katherine. She loved both characters, they were such polar opposites but that's what she loved about them. One was such a selfish bitch while the other was a kind soul. She sadly didn't get the part and went back to her home in New York. Kate naturally thought she wouldn't get the part since her resume lacked any kind of experience but she loved acting. It was a passion of hers. She'd done musical theatre and some dramas but that was it. No big motion pictures or an extra on a TV show, none of that.

Kate was just a small town girl with big dreams – aren't we all? She was able to catch some episodes of the show when it first aired and the young actress, who played Elena, Nina Dobrev, was exceptional. Kate couldn't hold a candle to her. She really thought every single part was picked to perfection, especially Stefan Salvatore, played by Paul Wesley and Damon Salvatore who was played by Ian Somerhalder. Kate couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Nina since she would have to get hot and heavy with both brothers. She liked both of the brothers but Damon's character was incredibly snarky and sex on legs. _Oh well,_ Kate thought to herself while watching the pilot episode.

One day after classes at her University, Kate had gotten a letter with some pages of a transcript. It was a scene from the writer's of The Vampire Diaries. The writers of the show had seen her audition footage and wanted her to fly out to Atlanta to read for them. Dumbstruck, Kate packed her things, bidding her mother, father and sister goodbye and took the next flight out. She sat in the airport reading and memorizing her lines. To her surprise, it was a scene with her and Damon! Kate bit her lip just thinking that she would be in the same room as Ian. However she realized that she didn't recognize the character name from the book. Apparently the scene was with Damon and an old friend of his, Cassandra Emerson, who was also a vampire judging from reading the lines. The two hour flight flew by and soon she was sitting across the table from the creators of the show, Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec.

They explained that Cassandra would be Damon's love interest and Kate nearly felt her heart stop. Basically they wanted to do a screen test with Kate and Ian to see how their chemistry would work. Kate was sent off to hair, make-up and finally costuming. She looked killer. She was dressed in tight black leggings with over the knee boots, a dark blue v-neck t-shirt with a three quarter sleeved black leather jacket. Kate's make up was simple. Her big brown eyes were accentuated with black false lashes and her lids were adorned with a brown smoky eye shadow look. Her hair was naturally curly so they just teased it up and went over some curls with the curling iron to make it look more polished.

Walking out on set she felt like a star and she didn't even get the part yet. Her nerves started to take over when she saw Ian walk on set with her. The scene was in Damon's bedroom and it would be their characters first meeting on the show.

"Hey!" Ian's voice broke her focus and a bright smile pulled at her lips. "I'm Ian." He held out his hand to her and Kate felt her heart leap. God he was so gorgeous. Those eyes could make girls melt and they probably did.

"I know." She said taking his hand but wanted to take the words back as soon as they left her lips. She didn't want him to think she was some crazy obsessed fan. "I mean…I'm sorry. I'm Kate. It's nice to meet you Mr. Somerhalder." She said respectively. After all he was her coworker, right now he was farthest from a friend.

"The pleasure's all mine and please, call me Ian." He said charmingly. The chattering around the set was starting to get nerve wracking and Ian could see it in Kate's face. "You nervous?" He asked.

"I'm terrified." She said with a laugh as if trying to calm herself down.

"Don't worry about it. Just do it." He said confidently. "If they didn't have faith in you then you wouldn't be here right now." Ian explained and Kate smiled.

"Thank you." She said sweetly and Ian winked at her.

"Alright places people! Quiet on set!" A loud voice yelled and Ian and Kate got in position for their scene. From the second 'action' was called to when the director yelled 'cut' Kate was completely in the zone. It was like she blacked out and became Cassandra Emerson and Kate loved every second of it. She really hoped she didn't completely blow it and ruin her chance.

"Seriously, you were really great!" Ian gushed.

"Thanks." Kate blushed and Kevin and Julie pulled her aside.

"You were really great today and the part is yours." Julie said excitedly and Kate felt tears rush in her eyes.

"Oh my God! I am so honored! Thank you so much!" She gushed happily and once she was dismissed Kate ran back to Ian. "I got it!" She exclaimed.

"See! I told you so!" Ian said and hugged her tightly. "Congratulations!" He whispered in her ear and Kate could definitely get used to Ian holding her more often. They were scheduled to start filming tomorrow so Kate went back to her hotel room and called her mother to give her the good news. Needless to say her mother was screaming and crying tears of joy. Kate let all of her friends know the good news and tucked herself into bed, falling asleep with a smile on her face. Her life was looking up, in more ways than one.

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><p><strong>Just an idea of mine. Don't know how far I'll go with it. You be the judge!<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed and PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. First Day of Filming

**Trying something a little different. I wanna do some POV work in this story bc I've never done it before so why not and I think I could really capture Kate's true emotions. Kate is loosely based around me as a person. I am ****beyond**** thrilled that you guys like her as an OC.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, messaged, alerted and favorited 3**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story**

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><p><span>Kate's POV<span>

I was beyond nervous to start filming. I was up so early the next morning that it was still dark out as I trudged into hair and make-up. The first scene we were doing was in Damon's bedroom once again where Cassandra would sneak into Damon's dream. I read the script while I was getting my hair done and I nearly fell off the chair. This Cassandra was one cheeky vampire. She basically made out with Damon just to leave him with a case of blue balls. Now, I've never done anything with a guy. I'm a good girl, always have and will probably die a good girl. Hell I've never had a boyfriend! Trust me, it's not something I'm proud to admit but that's who I am. My hair and make-up was the same as the other day and soon I was standing on set with Ian, Kevin, Julie and the director of the episode.

"Alright so basically it's gonna be pretty dark, some minimal lighting for the camera to see what's going on in the shot." The director noted.

"Kate, when Ian gets out of bed, you'll throw him to the wall and hold him there. You wanna make yourself look really dominant, like you're the one in control." Kevin explained and I nodded nervously. Ian seemed to pick up on that right away. "Ian, shirt off." Someone on staff yelled and like magic, Ian's shirt was off and I had to stop myself from jumping his bones right there on set. He just looked so gorgeous and I felt my stomach do somersaults as I watched his muscles ripple and shift under his smooth skin.

"Hey, nervous again?" He asked with amusement playing in his voice and I tore my eyes away from his washboard abs.

"Yeah…I've just never done this before." I gestured kinda vaguely to Ian and he looked at his now shirtless chest.

"C'mon I've been shirtless on the show plenty of times so you should be used to seeing me like this." He smirked and I rolled my eyes but laughed.

"No…I mean I've never…" I trailed off again but figured I might as well say it. "Kissed a guy." I said sheepishly so no one else would hear me. Ian stayed quiet which wasn't too reassuring.

"Look, just do it. Even though you have no idea what to do, just let go." He explained calmly. _That point is easier said than done, especially when the person you're making out with is beyond gorgeous._ "I know it's easier said than done but you're an actress. This is what we do, we pretend. Like right now I have to act like some snarky son of a bitch who is being seduced by a previous flame." Ian said and I had to let out a laugh. How could it be that whenever I had some sort of dilemma, Ian was always there to bring me back down to earth?

"Alright. Let's do this, Salvatore." I smirked using Damon's last name and Ian chuckled while getting into places.

"Quiet on the set! And action!" The director yelled and Ian started tossing and turning in his sleep. He gave a frustrated sigh and threw the covers off his body. I took my place in the shadows, watching and waiting for the right time. Ian dragged his feet against the floor and walked right near me and I shot myself at him, throwing him against the wall. I held his wrists and pressed my body flush against his.

"Hello Damon." I purred sensually and I blushed just hearing the way those two words flew out of my mouth. _I hope that sounded sexy._ I gently brushed my lips up against Ian's, not enough to kiss him but just to give him a taste. My senses were on fire, I couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to really kiss Ian. My grip on his wrists loosened and I laid them on his broad shoulders before I started to kiss down his body. I knew my friends would be so jealous when they saw this episode. Ian snaked his arms around my waist and I drew in a breath. It felt different to have a guy touch me this way, even if it was acting and we were in character. His thumbs circled my hips and I nearly shivered at the contact. My lips were on his collarbone when I heard the director called cut and I was pulled out of my haze.

"Kate, we need you back in make-up. We're gonna put your fangs and contacts in." The director said and I nodded before looking back at Ian. He had the biggest smirk on his face and I didn't have time to ask him why as I was whisked away to a room where they molded my teeth. I was given a pair of temporary fangs to use until mine were made up. While they were getting my contact lenses I happened to look to my left and there were Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley.

"Hello! You must be Kate! I'm Nina." She greeted sweetly and I shook her hand and smiled, still not used to the fact that I had fangs in my mouth.

"Hey I'm Paul." He said charmingly.

"Oh my Gosh! It's so nice to meet you both!" I said and the guy with my contacts came back.

"Ooh those are painful." Paul said as the guy helped me put them in. I blinked over and over again and he was right, they did hurt. The lens filled my entire eye as opposed to my regular contacts.

"Ouchh ouch ouch!" I whined, trying not to rub my eyes. It felt like I had a bazillion eyelashes in each eye.

"They hurt but you get used to them. On the bright side, you look killer as a vamp." Nina said and I had to laugh. I gripped a mirror and nearly fell off my chair. I looked really scary, the contacts really added to the whole visual. "See, told you." Nina added. I bid them goodbye and rushed back to set where Ian was waiting patiently. I flashed my fangs at him with a raised eyebrow and he chuckled.

"Welcome to the club, fellow vamp." He smirked and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Okay, Kate, you're gonna bite Ian on his right hip. We'll add the blood around your mouth afterwards." And there go my nerves again. I help Ian at his hips while a laved over the skin on his right hip. I snarled and made it seem like I bit Ian and he jolted from his spot on the wall. To my surprise, Ian threaded his hands in my hair and yanked gently, moaning as if this was pleasuring him. I removed my lips from him and they called cut to add the fake blood around my lips and chin. I smirked at Ian and licked the blood from my lips before leaning in once again and whispering my next line.

"Time to wake up."

"And cut!" The director yelled and everyone clapped on set. I saw Nina and Paul who were clapping and smiling at me as well. I gave them a shy smile even though my mouth was covered in fake blood. Myself and Ian got cleaned up and started on our scene work for the episode, including the two of us wrestling each other on the ground and Damon carrying Cassandra in his arms from her burning house. We weren't entirely done with the episode so we would finish some smaller scenes when it was lighter out. Luckily we finished early so I was invited out to dinner with Nina, Paul and Ian.

"So you've never done anything as far as acting?" Paul asked while we all sat at a table in the courtyard of a quaint little restaurant.

"Well I've done musical theatre and other stuff but this is my first big project." I explained.

"You could've fooled me. You're really good." Nina said honestly.

"Thanks." I said sweetly. "I actually auditioned for Elena and Katherine. Seriously I can't hold a candle to you. You're so talented."

"Thank you, you're so sweet."

"Hey Kate, you got a twitter?" Ian asked.

"Nope. I'm a facebook kinda gal. Besides I have no idea how to use a twitter." I replied.

"Don't worry, I'll help you." Nina said. "Paul doesn't have one." She smirked and Paul rolled his eyes.

"I'll be your first follower." Ian winked and I felt my cheeks blush bright red. Nina's phone rang and she politely answered it while Paul, Ian and I spoke about mundane things.

"That was Julie. We're doing promo shots tomorrow for season two." Nina said hanging up her phone.

"Ooh sounds fun." I said. It sounded awesome to dress up in couture clothes and do abstract poses.

"Yeah, Ian was a model for a couple years." Paul said. "You need any tips go to him."

"I probably will have to because I've never modeled before in my life." I said.

"I'll give you all the tips you need." Ian said sweetly and I fished my phone out of my bag to answer a couple texts. Ian snatched the phone out of my hands in a playfully gesture. "Who are you texting? Your boyfriend?" He joked and I reached over him to grab the phone back.

"No! It's my mom!" I said and Ian held my phone over my head while he scrolled through it. I saw him enter a couple digits and he passed my phone around the table. Paul and Nina put their numbers in my phone and passed it back to me. I stuck my tongue out at him and he just smiled innocently. Then out of nowhere, some paparazzi came around the corner and started snapping pictures of us. Self conscious I tried to turn away but Ian placed his arm around my shoulder so we were both facing the camera.

"Relax." He whispered in my ear and I cracked a smile just when the flash of some cameras went off.

We finished dinner that night and I went back to my hotel where I pulled out my laptop and made myself a twitter. I got my phone and text Ian since he so 'slyly' put his number in my phone.

I got a twitter now. Happy_?_ Within seconds he responded back.

_Very happy. I'm following you now. How does it feel to have your first follower?_

Not gonna lie, a little creepy when you put it that way. I smirked to myself as I read the message over before sending it.

_Get your head outta the gutter! So you've never kissed a guy before?_ I had to read the message again before sending my pathetic reply.

Nope. It's not something I'm proud of but I guess the right one never came along.

_I can understand that. I didn't mean to embarrass you at dinner tonight._

No, it's fine. You didn't mean anything by it.

_Regardless, I'm sorry._ I hate to smile at that. I really wasn't offended in any way about what he said but it was still nice of him to be considerate of my feelings. Hmm, a guy with manners…they still make those?

Well, thanks. I really appreciate it :) Anyways I'm gonna go to bed. Busy day tomorrow. Goodnight Ian.

_Sweet dreams, Kate._

I plugged my phone into the charger and placed it back on the end table. It safe to say that I fell asleep with a smile on my face. Even if nothing romantically happens between me and Ian, I'm just thankful that he came into my life. Everything today was finally sinking in. _I _was a member of The Vampire Diaries cast! Holy shit! Right now in this moment I was living the dream and loving it! I had to contain my giggles for fear the people rooming on either side of me would think I was insane. I snuggled into my pillow as I let my dreams take me away.

Tomorrow would be a busy day indeed.

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><p><strong>Sparks flying already? Maybe ;)<strong>

**Please review and show your support!**


	3. Corsets, Kisses and Photo Shoots

**Thank you so much for all the reviews, messages, alerts and favorites! I really can't believe how much attention this story has gotten so far! I decided to add in a little Ian POV for you just to try it out.**

**Please, please, please review since they make me smile :)**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

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><p><strong>Kate's POV<strong>

Waking up early the next morning, I was greeted with tons of texts about a picture of me and Ian that was shown on TMZ. Apparently a TMZ reporter was among the paparazzi. I have yet to see the picture since I was returning everyone's messages.

_No we are not sleeping together!_

_We're just friends!_

_What would he see in me anyway?_

Part of me wanted to smack myself for writing that last one. I was, in my opinion, a pretty girl but I don't think someone like Ian would be interested in someone that's just…_pretty_. I mean Ian is…_wow I'd love to nibble on that strong jawbone of his and run my fingers through his lush black hair and not to mention scratch my nails down his back while we make passiona – _Wait! Stop! I can't be thinking about him like this! Ian is my coworker! A friend maybe but right now we're just working together. Tossing my still buzzing phone in my bag, I made my way to set where we filmed some pieces of the 'Masquerade' episode. Filming went smoothly and when I was sitting in my make-up chair, Nina came right up to me.

"So, how does it feel seeing your face in the news?" She asked cheerily.

"To tell you the truth I haven't seen my face yet." I joked and she held up an article with a picture from the other day attached to it. "Lemme see!" I yelled and jumped for the article. Even the woman who was doing my make-up was laughing at my eagerness. I gripped the article and was stunned into silence. It was a picture of the four of us smiling and there was also an inset of a photo of me and Ian. He was kissing my cheek and I had the biggest smile on my face. "Oh my God!" I gaped.

"Read the article." Nina prompted and my eyes scanned over the black and white words.

"Vampire Diaries stars Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder enjoy an evening out after shooting. They are seen here with Kate Walker who will be an up and coming character on the show this season. She will be playing Cassandra Emerson, an old friend of the Salvatore brothers. Not much is known about Miss Walker but we _do_ know that she's getting quite cozy with co-star Ian Somerhalder in this recently snapped photo _(left) _.When asked to comment on Miss Walker, Ian had this to say: 'Kate's a great girl and she has so much talent. I think I speak on behalf of the cast when I say that we are truly lucky to have her working with us.' Rumors have it that Somerhalder who plays resident bad boy, Damon Salvatore and Walker, Cassandra Emerson, will heat up the screen with their romance." As I finished reading the article I couldn't help but feel like this was some fantasy and she'd wake up sooner or later.

"You alright?" Nina asked with a little bit of concern in her voice.

"Yeah! No, I'm fine…I'm just waiting for myself to wake up." I said with a little laugh.

"I know the feeling. You'll get used to it." Nina smiled and I felt a little comforted by her words.

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><p><strong>Kate's POV<strong>

Looking over myself in the mirror I couldn't help but feel like I've stepped back in time. I was dressed in a beautiful 1800's style gown. It was a cream colored dress with rose accents along the bottom hem. The bodice was a tight corset, my breasts were pressed together and I had to admit that they looked damn good. My make-up was simple, natural look and my hair was curled, half up half down with an ornate clip keeping my hair in place. I heard a gentle knock at the door and turned from the mirror.

"Come in." I said and Ian stepped through the door.

**Ian's POV**

_My God, she looks incredibly beautiful_. I couldn't take my eyes off her. A sweet smile reached her lips seeing me dressed in my 1864 get up. It was plain and simple; a white button down shirt, a pair of brown riding trousers and riding boots. My eyes continued to run over her skin. Her swan-like neck dipped down to her strong shoulders. Her corset was tied tight and accentuated her curves in all the right places while her breasts looked tantalizing. Meeting her brown eyes again I wanted to reach out and touch her gently but I didn't. We were just friends as of now. A nervous look crossed her face before she spoke.

"Is everything alright?" She asked and smoothed out any creases in her dress so ease the awkward silence between them.

"Yes!" I answered a little too quickly for my liking. "You look beautiful." I said honestly and she glanced down at her feet as a deep blush rose to her cheeks. You'd think that no one ever paid her a compliment before.

**Kate's POV**

I met Ian's eyes once again and I wanted to melt just looking into his ice blue eyes. _Speaking of melting…is it hot in here or is my corset too tight?_ "Thank you. You look very handsome yourself Mr. Salvatore." I said coyly and my gaze fell to his clothing. It had a rugged yet put together feel about it and not to mention Ian wore them well. I couldn't help but notice the smooth skin of his hard chest peeking through the first two unbuttoned buttons of his white shirt.

Ian chuckled, "Well thank you Miss Emerson. Shall I escort you to set?" He asked and I nodded eagerly. I took one last look in the mirror before following Ian outside. My gaze fell to his tight pants and swooned seeing the firm globes of his behind. _Ooh this man will be the death of me_. We were getting ready to film the flashback scene where Damon pushes Cassandra in the lake and…wait for it…their first kiss. I was anxious, nervous and excited all at the same time. What if I did it wrong? What if I completely embarrassed myself in front of everyone? My mind was running with so many questions that it was hard to hear the director's instructions.

The scene started without a hitch, including me being pushed in the lake. Wow that water was cold! It made my dress feel so much heavier and I had a hard time moving around in it even at the shallow end of the lake. I pulled Ian in with me and we proceeded to chase each other, splashing water and jumping around. Ian caught me from behind and it was wonderful feeling his body heat transfer to mine. I turned in his grip and looked into his eyes. I felt my nerves taking over as my gaze fell to his lips and I was knocked out of my focus. I looked away but Ian held the base of my neck before slowly pulling my lips to his.

I felt an electric shock run through my body from my lips down to my toes. Now I know what people mean when they see 'fireworks'! I pulled away a little just for him to look down at me again before I pressed my lips confidently to mold against his. His lips were oh so soft and I was thoroughly enjoying kissing him. Ian's hand slipped around my waist while the other still held the base of my neck and little shivers ran down my spine. His tongue gently massaged mine and my arms snaked their way around his neck as I moaned into his mouth.

"Damon?" Stefan called and our kiss was broken. So help me if I wasn't in character and my dress wasn't weighing me down because I would have hunted him down for interrupting this kiss. The scene was finally finished and the entire episode was completed. The crew applauded along with the cast and I was floating on cloud nine.

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><p><strong>Kate's POV<strong>

After changing out of our wet costumes, Ian and I got redressed and touched up for a photo shoot to promote the show. I was dressed in a short, tight black dress with strappy heels while Ian was dressed in all black as well. My hair was done in big luscious curls and black smoky eye shadow lined my eyes while my lips were painted in a revving red color.

"Alright, Ian. I need you to sit in that chair and Kate I need you to stand behind him." The photographer instructed and we did as we were told. "Okay now Kate, drape your hand over Ian's shoulder and Ian just gently hold her hand." He said and I liked the feeling of Ian's hand holding mine. The photographer shot a couple of photos with some other mundane poses like my arms around Ian's shoulders, resting my head on his shoulder and even standing with my back leaning against the chair's side. I felt like a movie star – so glamorous and lavish.

"Really great guys. Okay now a change of pace. Kate, I need you to stand next to Ian and place you leg on the seat of the chair – in between Ian's legs." I did what he was told and I could tell that my dress was riding up a little to show my upper thigh but I felt sexy and naughty so I loved it. "Now Ian I want you to just caress her leg. Really eat her up, like she's the sexiest thing on two legs." The photographer said and I blushed beat red.

"Good thing I don't have to pretend." Ian smirked and winked at me. My blush grew redder but I laughed it off and winked back at him.

"And Kate I want you to tear his gaze away from your leg and up to your eyes whenever you feel ready." He instructed and I nodded understanding his concept. An assistant started up a fan that sent my curls blowing in all sorts of directions. Ian ran his fingers over my muscular leg and firmly gripped my calf before skimming my exposed thigh. His eyes hungrily skimmed over my skin and I felt my face heat up just viewing the passionate look in his eyes. _Thank God that fan's on high. _Remembering the photographers' directions, I carded my hand through Ian's lush hair before tightening my grip and pulling his gaze up to meet mine. His blue eyes burned into my brown ones as we were locked in an intense staring contest.

"Excellent! Perfect guys! That's exactly what I wanted!" The photographer cheered as she snapped away with his camera. He continued to shoot the two of us together and even brought Paul and Nina into the shot. Paul had his arm around Nina's waist while Ian had his arm around mine. There were even a few with myself, Paul and Ian. These were more of a family kind of photo. They were on either side of me, kissing my cheeks while I ruffled their hair and giggled. "That's a wrap guys!" The photographer announced.

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><p><strong>Kate's POV<strong>

Since it was still relatively early, I invited Nina, Paul and Ian back to my hotel room. It was small and quaint but it was all I had at the moment. If I was going to be bumped up to a regular it might be better for me to get an apartment near the studio because it would probably be cheaper.

"Nice place you got here." Paul said and flopped down on one of the chairs.

"Thanks! I tried to straighten up around here but I haven't been home all day." I said.

"Yeah I'm beat." Nina said with a huff and jumped on my bed.

"Ughh same." I dropped on the bed next to her and exhaled. Ian turned on the TV and we all just chilled out for a while until a commercial for the show came on. I watched with wide eyes. I still couldn't believe that this was happening to me. Nina and Paul left since she almost fell asleep on my bed. Ian stuck around and we thumbed through the channels absentmindedly. He moved to lounge on the bed with me. _Remind me to not wash these sheets for a while._

"You wouldn't be athletic would you?" He asked out of the blue.

"Yeah I'm a black belt and I dance." I replied.

"So you can basically kick my ass." Ian deadpanned and I chuckled.

"Yep." I said and popped the 'p'.

"That's awesome."

"Why did you ask?"

"Well, you've got gorgeous legs." He smirked and I blushed. I really did like my legs a lot. I loved wearing skirts and short dresses just because I got to show off my legs. The martial arts and ballet training really molded my legs beautifully.

"Thanks." I blushed even harder. We continued talking about other things, like my training and Ian's modeling career.

"Why did you hesitate today? With the scene at the lake." Ian asked and now felt uncomfortable again.

"I don't know. I just didn't wanna screw it up." I answered honestly. It was true. I'd never kissed anyone and he knew that. I just wanted to please everyone – impossible I know but it was worth trying.

"Trust me, you didn't." He replied.

"Really?" I inquired.

"Yeah! Ya know, you beat yourself up a little too much." He joked. "Seriously, you need to give yourself some more credit."

"But I have no experience in this kind of thing _at all_. And I wouldn't wanna come across as a complete snob." I defended.

"A down to earth girl like you? No way." Ian said genuinely. Sooner or later we lost track of time and Ian left since we had to get up early the next morning for a comic con in downtown Atlanta. It would be my first one ever. I watch videos of prior ones and all I could hear were screaming girls. Needless to say I would need all the sleep I could get.

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><p><strong>The next one will be the comic con! Can't wait to get it out to you guys!<strong>

**Please review!**


	4. Comic Con and A First Date

**Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, messaged, favorited and alerted! I am so glad that you guys like Kate because she's pretty much me.**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story**

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><p>I was up really early the next morning considering the limo would be at my hotel to pick me up. I was going to drive my own car there since I had someone drive it to Atlanta for me but Ian, Nina and Paul insisted that I take the limo with them. I did some simple make-up and was dressed pretty comfortably but still neat and nice. This would be the first time I would be in front of fans for the show.<p>

"You ready for this?" Ian asked as we pulled up to the back entrance of the comic con.

"Let's do this." I said confidently and we exited the limo and went straight into the building. From behind the stage all I head was screaming. It was so loud I could barely hear the announcer. Julie and Kevin were called to the table first and they sat at their assigned spot.

"Alright and next up we have 'the doppelganger herself', Nina Dobrev." The announcer said and Nina gave me a cheeky grin before she went out. The crowd cheered wildly and then Paul and Ian were called next. The audience went absolutely crazy for them as well. Everyone was seated at the table except for me since I would be making a surprise entrance.

"Okay now that everyone is here, let's get started! So we can all say that the Season 2 premiere was incredible!" The announcer said and the crowd went wild. "First and foremost we'll ask some questions and we'll see if there's enough time for the cast to take your questions." Most of the questions for Julie and Kevin as far as where they see the show going this season along with other questions of that nature.

"So, I am dying to know when we are gonna see this new character that we've been hearing so much about." The announcer said to Kevin.

"Actually ya know what, how about she tells you herself." Kevin said and the crowd cheered loudly and felt my heart beat ringing in my ears. "It is my pleasure to introduce to you the newest member of our Vampire Diaries family, Kate Walker." Kevin said. I walked out and to my surprise, people were cheering for me. I was a normal girl before this show picked me up and now people knew my name. The entire dais stood up and applauded for me and felt an overwhelming sense of joy swell in my heart. I'd certainly have to get used to that. I gave them a shy wave and a big smile before taking my seat next to Ian. I got a chance to look out at the amount of people that were present at the event and I nearly fell off my chair. It was packed with fans, photographers and reporters. I flipped up my name place card so people could see it. I rung my hands in lap just looking at all of the camera flashes and I felt Ian grab my hand and gently squeeze it. It was a comforting gesture that made my smile grow wider.

"Kate, thank you very much for joining us." The announcer said once the crowd quieted down.

"Thank you very much for having me." I chirped into my microphone that was placed down at my setting when I came out.

"So, dish! We wanna hear what will be going on for you this season." The crowd stirred up once again and whooped in agreement.

"Well, I can't reveal too much but I can honestly say that this character will definitely shake up Mystic Falls for all the right reasons." I replied. "My character, Cassandra, was a friend of the Salvatore family in 1864 and we learn from the first episode she appears in that she is a vampire."

"We've also heard rumors of a possible budding romance for Season 2 between Damon and Cassandra. What can you tell us about that, Ian?"

"From the episodes we've filmed already, I can tell you that Cassandra and Damon were in love back in 1864." Ian said and the crowd awed. "And unfortunately, Katherine comes into Mystic Falls and pretty much ruins it." He finished.

"I heard we have a clip from the first episode if we could show it now?" The announcer inquired and the lights dimmed before the clip started rolling. I never knew about this and soon found out that it was a clip of Damon and Cassandra's first kiss by the lake. It was beyond weird seeing my on a big viewing screen but I had to admit that I felt myself blush when Ian and I kissed. The crowd loved it too since they were hooting and hollering.

"That should hold you guys over till the episode airs." Ian laughed when the clip ended and so did I. "As far a romance, I really hope that happens for Damon because Katherine just completely ripped his heart out and I think Damon could really use someone to nurture him and to love him." Ian replied truthfully.

"Yeah I know that the fans love the 'Delena' approach to the show but I think Cassandra will really have something to offer to the show. I'm sorry if this all seems so vague but really, I don't even know what will happen with the two of them." I said.

"Well from that clip I can say that they made a great couple, what did you guys think?" The announcer asked and the crowd went ballistic. They were jumping and cheering. Pretty soon I'd have no ear drums left. Ian did warn me of that but I loved this! Right now, I wouldn't change this for any other position in the world. "Okay, now we're gonna do some rapid fire questions. Ian, who is the better kisser, Katherine or Cassandra?" He asked and I blushed beat red.

"Katherine never really loved Damon but she did love to make out with him but Cassandra's love for Damon was very sincere so I'd have to say Cassandra." He answered and moved his name tag closer to mine so the edges were touching.

"I feel like everyone is ragging on Katherine toady." Nina said with a laugh.

"Well she's a bitch!" Paul quipped and the audience oohed. "What? She's very manipulative and she does whatever she wants to get what she wants."

"I happen to like Katherine!" I said. "Yeah, she may be a bitch but she's a strong woman – vampire." I laughed. "You can bet that no one will mess with her."

"Next question, Kate who has the best hair, Ian or Paul?"

"Hmm, that's a tough one. They both have nice hair." I said. "I'd have to say Paul."

Ian playfully elbowed me. "Oh come on! You've only done a couple of scenes with Paul and you've _never _touched his hair!" Ian said exasperatedly.

"That may be true but in the 'family' photo shoot we did I had to touch his hair." I defended and the screen flashed up the photo of me, Ian and Paul where I had my arms around their shoulders and my hands ruffling their hair. The audience awed and laughed while viewing the photo. It was interesting seeing the finished products. "See?" I said and shoved him back.

"Just for that snarky answer," Ian started and moved his name tag away from mine. I pouted playfully and the crowd laughed. "And besides I think this picture says otherwise." Ian said and another photo was flashed up on the screen. Screams and whistles reached my ears as I saw the photo with just Ian and me. It was from the sexy photo shoot we did where Ian was sitting and I was standing with my leg perched on the chair. Low and behold it was a shot of me pulling on his hair to jerk his gaze up to mine.

"Woo hoo! Sexy!" Nina cheered and clapped.

"Wow! Is it hot in here?" Paul laughed and Ian fanned him with his own name tag before doing the same to me seeing my cheeks blush bright red.

"And the cutest blush goes to Kate Walker." Ian smirked and I hid my face in my hands for a moment, trying to make my blush go away.

"We also have a clip for the 'Masquerade' episode as well." The announcer said. The room went dark again and we all turned our attention to the screen.

_It was a bunch of scenes from the Lockwood Masquerade Party. The camera then flashed to fire dancers, jugglers and dancing party guests. Then it flashed to Damon, Stefan and Cassandra standing on the steps in their masquerade attire looking for Katherine. Lady Gaga's song 'Teeth' was playing in the background._

"_You're sure you can do this?" Stefan asked._

"_Who are you talking to?" Damon said incredulously._

"_I had the chance to kill her and I hesitated." Stefan explained._

"_Well that is the fork in the road between you and me, my friend. I don't hesitate." Damon said._

"_If either of you hesitate, I'll be the one to stake the bitch." Cassandra said firmly and both brother's smile wryly. Next it panned to a scene of Damon, Katherine and Stefan fighting._

"_Hello Katherine." Cassandra smirked._

"_You!" Katherine hushed, her face turning pale._

"_Yes. Me." Cassandra said as she stepped into the room and Katherine lunged at her with fangs bared but the scene changed to Elijah's parlor. _

"_You are transitioning, Cassandra." Elijah said gravely._

"_To what?" Cassandra asked with tears flickering in her eyes._

"_A vampire." He replied. The next scene was of Cassandra savagely biting into a young man's neck. The screen went black before panning in on Damon and Stefan._

"_Tonight it ends." He said determinedly._

The clip ended and I couldn't help but smile. This was really a part of my reality. My body was buzzing with adrenaline and the cheering crowd only fed into it.

* * *

><p>After that we all went into the press room with some reporters and fans where we got to sit and talk with them a little more about the show. I sat myself at a table with a bunch of young girls; they looked to be my age.<p>

"So how did it feel being up there?" One of the reporters asked into her recorder before handing it over to me.

"Uhm, wow it was definitely surreal. I've never done this so it was an interesting experience. This right here is the stuff of fairy tales. I never expected to land this role but yet, here I am." I replied.

"How about the cast? Do you guys all get along?" Another girl asked.

"Yeah we really do! And I'm not just saying that, it's the truth. When I did theatre my cast and crew was my family and I feel like I was accepted into this family with open arms. Everyone's been so welcoming." I said honestly and I happened to catch Ian's gaze from across the room. He winked at me and I smiled back at him.

"So, you and Ian?" She asked seeing our exchanged.

"Oh, no. We're just friends. Besides he's such a ham." I joked and she laughed with me.

The question and answer process went on for a while but I never felt bored or out of place. I moved from table to table till Ian came over and sat next to me. He slung his arm around me and kissed my cheek.

"Hey you. How are we doing over here?" He asked cheekily.

"Just fine." I replied. "I was just telling Sarah about the upcoming 'Masquerade' episode." I motioned to the young reporter sitting across from me.

"Ooh that one was fun!" Ian smirked.

"Yeah tell me about it." I chuckled. "I can definitely tell you from the script I have that we will learn a lot more about Cassandra's past and how she became a vampire."

"I think the fans will really be surprised when they find out the truth about her past. And she shares that information with Damon. She's kept it a secret for about a hundred and some odd years and I think that their bond will grow even stronger as the season goes on." Ian said. "Not to mention I got to kiss you again." He added.

"Oh yeah! In the flashback scenes." I recalled.

"So what scenes have been your favorite to film, Kate?" Sarah asked.

"I love the flashback scenes. For some odd reason I love wearing the corsets and the big gowns. I think it's very romantic and glamorous. Not to mention the men are very chivalrous." I replied. "I like gentlemen." I added.

"I could use one of those." Sarah laughed.

"Uh, hello? Gentleman right here." Ian waved his hands around the whole table laughed with us.

"I wouldn't know, Ian." I joked.

"Well I make sure to treat women well when we go out." Ian said.

* * *

><p>Comic con ended and thankfully we had the next day off so we got to relax. I was lounging around my hotel room in the afternoon when my cell phone rang.<p>

"Hey Ian!" I chirped.

"_Hey, you. What are you doing tonight?" _He asked.

"Right now I have nothing planned. Why?"

"_How about the two of us go out to dinner tonight?"_ Ian said and my heart nearly stopped. He wanted to go out to dinner with me!

"Hmm, are you asking me out on a date, Ian?" I said as coyly as possible.

"_As a matter of fact I am. So is that a yes?"_ He asked hopefully and I bit my lip.

"Sure I'd love to." I said sweetly.

"_Great, I'll pick you up at 7."_ Ian said happily. As soon as I hung up I started jumping up and down and squealing like a little school girl. Regaining my composure, I showered, did my make-up and got dressed. Since I had no idea where we were going, I settled on a simple black dress with a thin leopard belt and leopard pumps to match. It seemed like Cassandra's style was rubbing off on me. It was funny because the shoes I wore in the Masquerade episode were actually mine. I fixed my tousled curls as I heard a few soft raps at my door. I felt a knot form in my stomach so I took a deep breath and grabbed my purse before opening my hotel room door.

Ian was dressing in dark wash jeans with a black button shirt. He was dressed so simply but he looked incredibly handsome. His hair was ruffled but still looked in place.

"Hi." I said closing the door behind me.

"Hey, you look beautiful." He said in awe and I smiled brightly. He took my hand in his and led me downstairs to his car. It wasn't long till we pulled up to a quaint little restaurant. We were guided to the back room by the host to a candle lit table. Ian pulled out my chair and I sat down as daintily as I could. He took his seat across from me as I looked around the room.

"Wow, this is amazing." I said before picking up my menu.

"You like it?" He asked and I gave him a small smile.

"Yes, it's very romantic." I said sweetly. We both ordered wine and our food.

"So I know you've never had a boyfriend but have you ever been on a date before?" Ian asked while swirling his wine around in his glass.

"Sadly, no." I said.

"Well, I'd like to make a toast." He said and held up his glass. "To your first date." I lifted up my glass to make it level with his.

"And to you treating a woman like royalty." I said seriously and his eyes twinkled. "I could get used to outings like these." I laughed and we clinked out glasses and we each took a sip. Our food came shortly after and we talked about Ian's childhood and his modeling career.

"Alright, I've spent all night talking about me but I wanna hear more about you." He said before take a sip of his wine.

"I was born in New York. I live with my mom, dad and sister. I was going to be an elementary school teacher before I got this part."

"I could see you as a teacher." Ian said.

"Thank you. I just love watching the kids learn and the light behind their eyes when they finally get 'it'. As corny as it sounds I wanna be able to help the children of this generation. I guess it's my effort to try and change the world." I answered.

"It's not corny. It's incredibly honest." Ian said. "I'll bet the kids loved you."

"Yeah they did. I was just observing and student teaching but I love it so much. They were really good kids." I said honestly.

"How did you get into martial arts?" Ian asked.

"I just wanted to do it. That's actually where I got my teaching high from. I used to assistant teach some of the classes and I loved it. The same thing with dance too."

"What kind of dancing do you do?"

"A little bit of everything but I love ballet, specifically pointe." I replied. "I just think it's so beautiful and graceful. Unfortunately I stopped for a while when my teacher told me that I was fat and that I should never dance again." I said sadly and Ian's eyes widened. "I hated that teacher, damn Romanian toad. On the first day of class she took each girl to the front of the class and told each one of them what was wrong with their body." I explained.

"Seriously?" Ian asked.

"Seriously. So I quit that day. Sure I may be a quitter but I wasn't about to subject myself to that torture. I was wrecked for a little while but my mom got me dancing again." I said with a smile. "My mom is like my rock. Whatever I need, she's always there. She keeps me going."

"Same with my mom." Ian said. "I hope that doesn't mean I'm a momma's boy." He joked.

"There's nothing wrong with loving your mom." I said and lifted my glass. "To mothers." I said and Ian raised his glass as well. "To mothers." He chimed and we clinked our glasses again. Dinner went off without a hitch as we continued talking and laughing about anything that came to mind. Walking to the car we ran into some more paparazzi. Ian gripped me hand, careful not to lose me as we walked to his car.

"Hey Ian! Hey Kate! How are you two doing tonight?" One photographer asked.

"Very well, thanks. We just enjoyed some dinner and I am taking this little lady back home." Ian said as we continued walking.

"How are you enjoying filming so far, Kate?" Another asked me.

"I love it. I'm having a lot of fun." I replied sweetly. They asked a couple of more questions before sending us on our way. Ian opened the door to his car for me and he drove me back to the hotel. When we arrived he helped me out of the car and he walked me upstairs.

"You handled the photogs pretty well." Ian said.

"What, you're surprised?" I asked with a laugh.

"A little. For someone who's never done this before, you make it look easy." He answered. We reached my door and I had my key in hand.

"Thank you so much for everything tonight, Ian. It was wonderful." I said honestly. I was practically floating in cloud nine.

"You're welcome. Anytime" He winked. "So your first date wasn't a complete disaster." He joked.

"No it was amazing! I just don't think I could ever thank you enough." I said happily. "I guess I wasn't a horrible date?"

"Please, it was one of the best dates I've ever been on." Ian said. "Really you were a pleasure to take out."

"Thanks." I smiled sweetly and I couldn't help but stare at his eyes. For some reason I loved light color eyes on a guy especially when they had dark hair. Ian's eyes were piercing my soul but I wanted it.

"Goodnight, Kate." He said and brought my hand up to his lips. As if he wanted to make me swoon and faint. His soft lips brushed my hand gently before bestowing a deep kiss on my skin.

"Night, Ian." I thought I was imagining that Ian was leaning in closer to me but it wasn't my imagination. He got closer until his breath was lingering on my lips. My gaze wandered down to his lips before my eyes fluttered closed as I tilted my head up. We were so close but a blaring ringing noise jolted the both of us from each other. Ian was just as surprised as I was. He huffed when he realized it was his phone ringing. I giggled as he looked down to check the caller ID.

"It's my mother." He muttered and I laughed a little harder.

"She knew you were talking about her." I mused playfully.

"I'm sorry I gotta take this." He said with a little bit of embarrassment.

"No, it's fine. Go ahead." I said reassuringly and he blew me a kiss before heading down the hallway to the elevator. I chuckled to myself as I slid my key in the door. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. Letting out a deep sigh I couldn't help a smile from tugging at my lips. Even if Ian didn't kiss me, I still had the time of my life tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys enjoyed this one!<strong>

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Out Tonight

**AN 1: School is getting pretty hectic for me lately so I wanted to just let you all know that if my updates are more spaced apart, just bear with me. I don't intend on stopping ANY of my stories because I know how much you guys love them! I might be a on a little bit of a hiatus but I am in no way stopping my writing :) You all inspire me so much and I love you for it.**

**AN 2: Thanks so much for all the love and support for this story :)**

**On with the story. I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

* * *

><p>The next couple weeks of filming were completely exhausting! The entire cast and crew worked day and night to get everything finished. I was introduced to a new cast member, Mark; he was supposed to be the guy I was making out with in the Salvatore kitchen. He was to play Michael, a victim of my healthy sexual appetite. The director wanted me in lingerie so I was with the costumer trying on all different shapes, colors and kinds of lingerie. Each piece was more beautiful than the next and I felt incredibly sexy in each one. The costumer finally settled on a black lacey number with pink embroided flowers on the bra cups and panties. It fit me perfectly and accentuated every curve and dip of my body. Walking on set I felt a little self conscious because I wasn't as small as Nina, Candice or Katerina. I was never a size two and I never would be but I was okay with that. I was blessed with boobs, hips, curves and an ass. If people couldn't love me for who I was than they wouldn't have the privilege to love me at all. And I think I'm a pretty lovable person. I heard a low whistle behind me and I turned to see Ian.<p>

"You look amazing." He said and I twirled around to show him the full ensemble. Needless to say, things weren't awkward between Ian and me even though he almost kissed me outside my room. I was thankful for that. If anything we were closer than ever before. Ian and I spent the most time together on and off set.

"Damn, Kate!" Nina whooped and ran over to hug me. I could happily say that Nina and I were awfully close. I met Candice and Katerina, who played Caroline and Bonnie respectively and they were really sweet girls. I hoped that I would be able to spend more time with them cause they were such talented actresses.

"Thanks, Neens!" I giggled and I saw that Ian was looking at our friendly embrace a little more than normal. Then I remembered I was in my bra and panties.

"Kate, this is Mark. He's gonna be playing Michael today." The director introduced me to a tall guy with dark hair and warm brown eyes. He was cute but not as good looking as Ian. He stood a little shorter than Ian but he was pretty built. I shook his hand awkwardly, still in my _costume_ and he smiled back at me. "So basically the two of you will be kanoodling on the kitchen counter when Elena comes in the boarding house. So Mark go off to prosthetics, they'll be putting some bite marks on you and Kate you can just sit tight for now." He explained and Mark left.

"Who was that?" Nina asked and playfully elbowed me.

"His name is Mark. He's going to be my little toy for today." I smirked devilishly as I tried to get myself in character.

"He's cute." She said and I nodded.

"Yeah…" I trailed off and Nina caught it.

"He's not Ian." She winked. I had told Nina about mine and Ian's near kiss. She was surprisingly happy for me and she swore not to tell a soul. Thankfully for my sake she kept her word. I had no doubt that she wouldn't. "I think you and Ian would be so cute together. I mean he _really_ likes you." Nina gushed.

"Oh come on…" I said.

"Seriously! I wouldn't lie to you. Whenever he sees you it's like the world stops and he gets this little twinkle behind his eyes." She said and we continued to talk about my so far nonexistent love life until Mark came out of make-up. Fake bite marks covered his body and he was just in a pair of boxers. The director got us into position with me sitting on the counter and Mark standing in between my legs. It was a little awkward having to go all out and make out with a kid I just met ten minutes ago but this was my job. Kissing him was not like kissing Ian. I felt nothing. No sparks, no fireworks, nothing. We did our first couple of takes until the director stopped us to fix some lighting and camera issues.

"So Mark, have you done anything like this before?" I asked trying to break the silence.

"I've done some commercials but nothing like this." He replied. "You?"

"Consider this my first big break." I smiled proudly.

"You handle it like you've been in front of the camera your entire life." He complimented.

"I get that a lot." I said sheepishly.

"It's true. You're really good." He gushed.

"Thanks." We just made small talk before the director came back to finish that part of the scene before Cassandra took Michael into her bedroom. The scene started and I tossed Mark on the bed effortlessly as I crawled over his body. We delivered our lines and I 'bit' him before saying my last line and ending the scene.

* * *

><p>That day of filming went on and on till it was pretty late. I was packing up my stuff and changed into my normal clothes when Ian knocked on my dressing room door.<p>

"Hey! A bunch of us are going out tonight. Wanna come?" He asked.

"Uhm, I don't know Ian I'm really beat."

"Pleeeeasssee?" He begged and pouted his lower lip. _Damn him and that pouty thing he does_. I sighed and agreed against my will but I figured that it was time for us as a cast to bond. Walking into the club with Ian, he led us to a VIP table with Nina, Paul, Candice, Katerina and Mark. Maybe someone just invited him cause they felt bad. He looked very awkward just sitting there while the rest of us were laughing and taking shots. I was never a big drinker since I liked to have control of my body but I didn't object to loosening up a little. The girls all dragged me down to the dance floor where we grinded against each other in a friendly way until I felt someone wrap their arm around me. I happened to look over my shoulder and say that it was Ian. Nina winked at me knowing that they probably should make themselves scarce.

"I'm gonna go get us drinks!" Nina announced and ushered Candice and Katerina with her.

"May I have this dance?" Ian asked in my ear and I nodded. His hand rested on my stomach while the other held my waist as we rocked together. I felt his hot breath on my neck and it made me shiver. I hoped that he didn't catch it but I heard him chuckle.

"Something funny, Smolderholder?" I quipped and Ian nearly fell over hearing his new nick name.

"No, not at all. Just enjoying your company." He answered honestly and the song changed to something a little faster. The bass boomed throughout the club and Ian and I moved with the beat. I placed my hands on top of his and Ian laced his fingers with mine. He twirled me around so I faced him and giggled feeling the alcohol numb my senses. I wrapped my arms around his neck as his hands found their new positions on my hips. I happen to look over his shoulder and saw Nina, Candice and Katerina making shamefully crazed gestures at me. I knew they were joking but I still laughed out loud nonetheless. "Something funny, Walker?" Ian raised a challenging eyebrow at me and I shook my head innocently.

"No I was just thinking about that dance move you did in Season one." I said coyly as I recalled the dance he did with Kayla when he was in the rafters. Ian threw his head back and laughed.

"Oh, you mean this one?" He said and did the very famous 'Damon dance'. He made sure to thrust his hips and rock his arms with his body. If I thought it was funny watching it on TV than it was ten times funnier seeing it done in person. "What? You don't think it's sexy, Kate?" He murmured and danced regularly with me again.

"On the contrary, I think it's _very_ sexy." I purred and I saw him smirk. We were harmlessly flirting with each other until Ian was complaining that his feet hurt. "I don't know how you girls can dance in heels!" Ian whined.

"Don't be such a baby!" I pouted and Ian gripped my hand to bring my back to our section but I pulled my hand back. "Nooo!" I slurred. "I wanna dance!" I chirped and swayed my body to the beat of the music in a provocative manner. Ian's eyes were eating me up as I smirked at him. I knew I'd totally regret this when Nina and the girls retold this to me the next morning but I didn't care. I felt so carefree, like I could do anything I wanted.

"I'll be right back!" Ian yelled over the music and I watched him walk off the dance floor. The floor was really packed now and it was hard to see where the exits were. On top of that, I was only about 5'2 so it was hard for me to see above anything. Some guy asked me to dance but I politely declined. I moved to find Ian but this guy gripped my upper arm hard.

"Gimme a dance, sweetheart." He slurred in my face and his breath stunk of alcohol. I tried to pull out of his grip but the alcohol dulled my reflexes and this guy was pretty strong.

"Let go of me!" I yelled at him but he refused. I pushed and shoved him till finally I punched him square in the nose. I took my chance to get away and I finally spotted Ian coming back to find me on the dance floor. "Ian!" I shouted and jumped up and down in an effort to get him to see me. Suddenly I felt a hand grasp my hair and pull me back into the crowd. I knew it was that guy again so I screamed and thrashed in his grip. I heard Ian yelling back for me as he pushed through the crowd. People around us were alerted to what was going on so they let him through. "Get off me!" I wailed once more and stepped on this guy's foot. He loosened his grip and Ian pulled me toward him.

"You kidding me, buddy?" Ian growled but the guy just waved his anger away.

"Whatever man!" He slurred and turned his back but Ian gripped his shirt collar.

"She said she didn't wanna dance with you so back off!" He gritted through his teeth and shoved the guy away. Ian then let him go and turned his back but the guy turned Ian around by his shoulder and punched him in the face.

"IAN!" I screamed as the two men brawled on the floor. My adrenaline kicked in and I gripped the drunk by his shirt. I had the help of other patrons as they lifted him off Ian. I could see that he was bleeding by the blood stains on his shirt but he looked better than the other guy. "Stay away from him!" I threatened and slung Ian's arm over my shoulder. The people in the club let us pass and the VIP table was in absolute shock. The saw pieces of the fight and they quickly ushered us out of the back entrance of the club so no one would see us.

* * *

><p>"OW!" Ian groaned as I cleaned his cuts. He was pretty beat up but his injuries weren't too serious. His face was slightly bruised and his lower lip was busted. It was swollen and bleeding a little bit but I had gotten it to stop. I took him back to my hotel room because Ian was complaining that his head hurt. If he went home and slept he might slip into a concussion.<p>

"I'm sorry." I whispered, removing the bloodied gauze from a gash on his forehead."This was my fault."

"No it wasn't. I just wish I was there when that asshole first got to you." Ian muttered.

"It's alright. I was able to hold him off." I defended proudly.

"Yeah but he hurt you too…" Ian said sadly as he eyed my light bruises on my arms. They hurt and they'd definitely hurt like a bitch tomorrow morning but right now Ian was my first priority.

"I'll live. You on the other hand can't go to sleep for a little while." I replied.

"Why?" He whined.

"Because you might have a concussion and I wanna make sure you're alright." I said.

"Ooh! Playing nurse aren't you?" Ian smirked.

"Yes and if you don't listen then I'll have to spank you." I said mischievously and Ian's grin grew wider. I left Ian to sit on my couch while I tried to busy myself with some things around my room. I changed into more comfortable clothes and took two aspirin for my bruises and I didn't wanna deal with a hangover tomorrow morning. I walked back in the room to see Ian passed out on the couch. Shit! He wasn't supposed to fall asleep.

"Ian? Ian!" I called his name multiple times as I smacked his cheeks trying to get him up. He groaned loudly and his eyes finally opened.

"Urgghhhh…why'd you wake me up?" He whined and I let out a breath of relief.

"I told you that you couldn't fall asleep!" I reminded him.

"I'm fine…just tired." He whispered. I looked at the clock and it was the early morning. We were both exhausted and just wanted to sleep but I needed to make sure that Ian would be alright.

"Just stay awake for a little longer okay?" I pleaded and his face softened slightly.

"Fine…" He grumbled and I kissed his cheek innocently.

"Thank you." I said sweetly.

* * *

><p><strong>Ian's POV<strong>

Ouch! Why was I hurting? Did I drink _that_ much? I opened my eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the bright sunlight streaming through the curtains. I recognized that I was in Kate's hotel room and then the memories of last night flooded my brain. No wonder I was so sore! A light stirring of a female alerted me to Kate's head leaning on my shoulder and her body was curled up against mine. We were still dressed in the same clothes from last night. I looked down at Kate's sleeping form and I couldn't help but feel my anger boil that some drunk dared to put his hands on her. Her bruises were still there and I didn't even wanna look at myself in a mirror. My stomach growled loudly and I silently hoped that it wouldn't wake Kate from her sleep. I remember her telling me not to sleep because of my head but somehow the both of probably just fell asleep from exhaustion. I gripped a pillow and slid it under Kate's head as I slipped myself off of the couch. I quietly tiptoed into the kitchen, trying to be as silent as I could.

**Kate's POV**

I hummed lightly, letting the smell of breakfast enter my nostrils as I opened my eyes. I looked up to see Ian was no longer on the couch with me so I figured he was in the kitchen. Standing in the doorway I saw Ian with his back turned as he slaved over the stove. I was lucky enough to get a big enough room with a stove. Naturally I had no room service but I liked doing things on my own. Hopefully soon I'd have enough money to get an apartment around the area.

"A man who makes breakfast. I like you even more." I laughed from the doorframe and Ian turned to smile at me.

"Sleeping Beauty is awake." He announced proudly and I scoffed.

"Please, I haven't even looked in a mirror."

"Neither have I." Ian scoffed.

"Well you look a little better." I said and tilted his chin towards me. You could tell his face was bruised but the swelling was better than it was last night.

"Looks like you did a good job, nurse." He smirked and I elbowed him. "Ouch…" He muttered and I giggled.

"Mmm that smells so good!" I gushed watching Ian cook. "What can I do to help?"

"Nothing. Sit." He said simply. We enjoyed our pancakes as we nearly glommed them. After not really eating and staying up late last night we worked up a pretty good appetite. Ian was such a great cook even though it was something so simply as pancakes.

"Alright, you cooked so I'll do the dishes." I chirped, taking the plates of the table and loading them in the dishwasher. Once I was finished I jumped in the shower since we had to be back on set today. I offered Ian my shower which he took up the opportunity and I knew that very few people could say that Ian Somerhalder used my shower. I would be one of them.

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><p>Returning back to set, everyone asked Ian about his busted up face and my bruises like we knew they would. We explained the entire story to them and they were just thankful that no one was hurt further.<p>

"Yeah I may look bad, but you should see the other guy." Ian gloated as he was getting his bruises covered up. "If anything, I think the whole busted lip think looks kinda sexy." He smirked and I rolled my eyes even though I had to admit, he did look ridiculously hot. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I excused myself for a moment to answer it.

"Hey mommy! How are you?" I chirped.

"_Kate, honey. I wished I didn't have to tell you this over the phone."_ She said wearily. Great, who died now?

"Mom, what's wrong?" I asked her slowly and moved outside the studio so I would have some privacy.

"_Honey…it's your father."_ My blood ran cold. My dad wasn't the healthiest of people and we all knew that. He was as stubborn as a jackass.

"What happened to dad?" I pressed urgently this time.

"_He's…he's in the hospital. He went into cardiac arrest and he's going into emergency surgery."_ I wanted to cry from the impact of this news. What if he died in surgery and I wasn't there? I needed to be with my family but I couldn't just leave everyone.

"Mommy, I need you to calm down for me please. I will get on the next flight back to New York." I said closing it down for any kind of discussion. I heard my mom protest before I ended the call. I bolted to find either Kevin or Julie and I found the both of them.

"Kate, what's wrong?" Julie asked seeing tears in my eyes.

"It's my dad. He went into cardiac arrest." I said and they gasped. "I'm so sorry but I have to get back to New York. I need to be with my family now." I hoped and prayed that they wouldn't fire my ass and replace me on the spot but my family was very important to me.

"What are you doing here talking to us?" Kevin asked seriously. "You should be on the next flight to New York." He said and I let out a breath of relief.

"It's your family, Kate. You have to be there for them." Julie added and I nodded, the tears now streaming down my cheeks. "Come on, I'll drive you to the airport." She offered.

"No it's fine, I'll call a car." I said and the two of them nodded understandingly. I said goodbye and turned over my shoulder to see the cast shooting their scenes. I sighed heavily, I would definitely miss this when I went back home. I didn't say anything about me leaving to Nina, Paul or Ian. I just needed to get home and I needed to do it now.

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><p><strong>Trouble in paradise? What will be the prognosis of Kate's father? Will she be able to return to shooting or will the strain of her father's illness force her to quit? REVIEW TO FIND OUT :)<strong>


	6. Hospitals and Heart to Hearts

**More than thrilled by the attention that this story is getting! Not to mention my Damon/Cassandra story 'You and I' hit 100 reviews! If you haven't checked it out, please feel free to do so.**

**Thanks to everyone for all of their love and support! I send all that love back to you :)**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

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><p>The flight to New York was quiet and uneventful. I was hoping no one would recognize me because I just wasn't in the right emotional state. I didn't even tell my mom that I was flying in. I did, however, send texts to Ian, Paul, Nina and some other cast members to let them know the situation. The weather in New York matched my mood and I was pretty sure it was a sign that things weren't going to go my way. My flight landed at around 1pm and I decided to stop home and see how things were going at home. I came home to find the house empty and quiet. My younger sister was still in school and I knew my mom was at the hospital. I wanted to take a shower and change since I felt gross and dirty from the flight. For some reason airplanes always make me feel gross. That and bowling alleys, but I digress.<p>

Once I was squeaky clean I happened to wander into my room. It looked exactly as I left it - well it was definitely cleaner than I'd left it. When I got the call to fly out to Atlanta I pretty much left my room in a shambles since the creators of the show wanted me there ASAP. Shelves were dusted, windows were cleaned and the carpet was vacuumed. I flopped down on my bed and immediately wanted to fall asleep. My bed was the comfiest. It made me wanna sleep forever. No wonder I never wanted to go to class in the winter because my bed was so snugly and warm. Sometimes when no one was home I'd just lie on my bed and soak up the rays of the setting sun that streamed through my window. It was one of my favorite things to do. It was so peaceful and serene.

Getting a little restless at home, I drove to the hospital. I kept my sunglasses on my face as I made my way down the white hallways. I came to the room where my dad was and I nearly wanted to vomit but I knew I had to be strong for my family. I stepped over the threshold to see my mom sitting hunched over in a chair with her head in her hands.

"Hey mom." I said softly and her head snapped up. She just stared at me like she was trying to see if I was really there.

"Kate? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Atlanta!" She said while leaping up and throwing her arms around me.

"I had to come home." I whispered into her shoulder.

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><p>My mom had gone downstairs to get some food while I stayed in the room. I listened to the beeping heart monitors and other gadgets. They had to perform an emergency quadruple bypass in order to save my dad. He still hadn't woken up yet but I wanted to let him rest. I was picking my cuticles to the point of bleeding so I just sat on my hands. It was a nervous habit of mine. It was gross I'll admit but at least it took my mind off of waiting.<p>

"Hey you." A deep voice called from the doorway and my heart stopped seeing who it was. It was Ian!

"What are you doing here?" I asked dumbfoundedly and he took a seat next to me.

"Couldn't let you do this alone. Paul and Nina are coming too." He replied and held his hand out for me to take. I placed it gently in his and I was secretly hoping he didn't see my raw, red cuticles.

"Quadruple bypass." I said after a couple moments of silence. "They almost lost him."

"Wow...is he gonna be alright?" Ian asked.

"I don't know..." I whispered while watching my dad's chest rise and fall.

"Are _you_ gonna be alright?" He asked and his question caught me off guard.

"Yes..." I nodded solemnly but I knew that I was lying to him and more importantly, myself. My eyes burned with tears as I then started to shake my head back and forth. "No...no, no, no." I sobbed and Ian pulled me into his embrace.

"Shh, I gottcha." He whispered in my ear in an effort to calm me down. I really didn't need Ian to think that I was emotionally unstable but in reality, I was. He rocked me in his arms for a while and my cries quieted. I yawned into his chest after being so tuckered out from crying. That was the first good cry I had in a long time.

"I don't know what to do about the show." I finally spoke up. My voice was hoarse and scratchy.

"You take off all the time you need. Don't worry about it." Ian said comfortingly. "Why didn't you tell me that you were leaving?" He asked.

"I just wanted to do this on my own. I didn't want everyone to get upset over me." I said honestly.

"But I was more worried about you when I got that text." He reasoned and I shrugged. I took a chance to look Ian over. His face had healed nicely and I lifted my shaking hand to brush my thumb over his once swollen lip.

"You're all healed." I smiled and so did he.

"Thanks to you." He replied softly and held my hand that was on his face in his. His skin was so warm that I just wanted to snuggle into it.

"I brought you back some - oh..." My mom said seeing the two of us sitting together.

"Mom!" I gasped and quickly got up. "Mom, this is Ian." I introduced and Ian stood up as well, shaking my mom's hand.

"It's a pleasure, Mrs. Walker. I just wish it were under better circumstances." Ian said and my mom smiled.

"A man with manners." She mused and I nudged her. "It's nice to meet you Ian. Thanks so much for coming."

"I'm going to go down and get something to eat. You wanna join me?" Ian asked.

"Oh my mom said she brought me something." I said but my mom shook her head.

"No I just got you water." She said with a little smile. I heard my mom say that she was getting me food and I saw her discretely place a Styrofoam container behind her back. "You should really have something to eat." She insisted and I threw her a look. This whole ordeal, thankfully, seemed to go over Ian's head

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><p>"I'm sorry for being such an emotional wreck." I said sheepishly as I pushed around some food on my plate with my plastic fork.<p>

"There's no need to be sorry." Ian replied. "You apologize for way too much."

"I can't help it. I'm too nice."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing…you really think you're gonna quit?" He said after a pause.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I really don't want to. This whole experience has been so incredible. I'm waiting to wake up and it not be real." I mused.

"Well I'd be upset if you left." Ian said and I looked up from my plate. "Besides, no one could be a better Cassandra than you." I felt a smile tug at my lips. This guy was just too charming for words! Why exactly was he talking to me again? Our connection was broken by a middle aged woman coming up to our table.

"Excuse me, I'm so sorry for interrupting but you're Kate Walker and Ian Somerhalder? From The Vampire Diaries, right?" She asked in hushed tones. We both nodded and smiled. "I hate to do this but my daughter absolutely loves the show and she's always wanted to meet you. Do you think you could sign this for her?" She placed a napkin and a pen down on the table.

I gripped the pen in my hand and slid the napkin towards me, "Sure! What's your daughter's name?"

"Sienna. S-I-E-N-N-A." She spelled out and I signed my name before passing it to Ian.

"Thank you both so much. I'm sorry if I was disturbing you."

"No, don't be silly!" I replied. I liked when people asked for a picture and an autograph. It let me know that I had some people rooting for me.

"Are you visiting someone here?" She asked.

"My dad. He went into cardiac arrest." I answered.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that. He's in recovery?"

"Yeah, he hasn't woken up yet."

"My husband had to have a triple bypass when he went into cardiac arrest. Then after that he started taking better care of himself. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise." The woman mused and Ian passed the napkin and pen back to her.

"Is your daughter here?" Ian asked.

"I wish I could say no but she is. She's in the cancer wing." She replied and I felt sick to my stomach.

"How old is she?" I asked.

"She just turned 18." My God she's so young! I think it's horrible for a person at any age to have cancer, especially one so young.

"Well I'd love to meet her if she's feeling up to it." I said and the woman's eyes widened.

"You would do that?" She asked in awe.

"Of course!" I replied and Ian nodded his head as well.

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><p>We followed the woman, Theresa, to the cancer wing. All the while she was babbling about how happy she was that Ian and I were going to see her daughter.<p>

I walked into the room to see a beautiful hazel eyed girl with no hair. Her scalp was completely bald and she had a book in her hands. I rapped my knuckles quietly against the door and she looked up before a smile crept across her lips.

"Oh my gosh! You're Kate Walker!" She hushed happily and I nodded.

"Hi Sienna! How are you?"

"I...I'm fine!" She stuttered.

"I brought along a friend with me." I said looking over my shoulder and Ian walked in behind me. Sienna squealed and started to cry. Tears of joy, of course.

"Wow! What are you guys doing here?"

"You're mom asked us to sign something and we wanted to give it to you ourselves." Ian replied and handed her the napkin with both our signatures on it.

"No way!" She took the napkin and examined it.

"Way." Ian smiled and sat on the edge of the bed.

"This is amazing! I love the show so much! When are Cassandra and Damon finally gonna hook up?" She asked and Ian burst into laughter.

"We're just as clueless as you are." I replied. We talked for hours and hours with Sienna and her mother. It even took my mind off of my dad. Meeting them reminded me that some people had it worse than I did.

"Can I get a picture of the three of you?" Theresa asked.

"Mom, come on!" Sienna scoffed.

"Ooh can you take one with my phone?" I asked and rifled through my purse before handing my phone to Theresa.

"Well then put me in the back of the picture." Sienna said.

"No way girly!" Ian said and slung his arm around her.

"But…I have no hair." She said sadly. Poor girl, no wonder she didn't wanna take any pictures.

"You're beautiful no matter what. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise." I said to her and she smiled before hugging me. Theresa took our pictures and I asked if the both of them would mind if I uploaded it to my twitter. They didn't mind so I did. The caption I put underneath it read: "The strongest and most beautiful girl I've known. Stay strong Sienna. My prayers go out to her and her family."

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><p>Nina and Paul showed up at the hospital by the time Ian and I got back to my dad's room. Surprisingly, my dad was awake and he was looking better than when I saw him before. He was talking with my mom when he saw me.<p>

"Hey daddy!" I said happily.

"Hey! How ya doing?" He asked me and I felt better that he was talking.

"I'm good; this is Ian, Nina and Paul. They work on the show with me." I introduced them all to my dad and he was more than thrilled to meet them. We all talked for a while until the nurse came in to tell us that visiting hours were over. I sadly said goodbye to my dad and all of us left.

"Where are you guys staying?" My mom asked.

"We'll get a hotel room." Nina answered.

"Well at least come on over for a hot meal." My mom insisted and neither of us could resist a home cooked meal.

"Uhm…guys?" Nina called. "I hope you have a big enough table because all of those paparazzi might be joining us." She finished and all of us came to the window to see a crowd of people outside the hospital.

"How did they know I was here?" I was completely astonished.

"They're paparazzi, that's their job." Paul said.

"How are we gonna get past them?" My mom asked. I was fine with the press following me around but I didn't wanna suck my family into it. We saw a couple of nurses come into the room to check my dad's vitals when Ian's lips turned into a smile.

"I've got an idea." He smirked.

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><p>It was a crazy plan, but it had to work. All of us were dressed in scrubs; our regular clothes were put in duffle bags. The nurses that were tending to my dad offered to help us leave the hospital unnoticed. They'd gotten word that an ambulance was leaving the hospital to go back to its regular stationing so that was our mode of transportation. One of the nurses distracted the paparazzi long enough to get them to run to the back door, where they thought we were coming out of, so we could quickly get inside the ambulance and drive off. Needless to say all of us were in stitches because how many people could say that they had to dress up as nurses in order to escape some photogs.<p>

"Well that's one way to get rid of them." Nina laughed, taking off her surgical mask.

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><p>My sister, Natalie, was confused as to the fact that we came home in an ambulance but that confusion turned into shock when she saw Ian, Paul and Nina were with us also. My mom managed to whip up something quick for dinner and all of us loved it. It felt so good to eat a home cooked meal after eating on the run or on set.<p>

"I think I'm done eating for a long time." Paul breathed as he sat back in his chair.

"Ooh that was so good." Nina covered her mouth to burp quietly.

After dinner, Paul and Nina got a car to get to a hotel while my mom and sister went back to the hospital. Ian called a car and I decided to wait with him inside. I turned on the TV to see E news talking about my disappearance from set and my quitting rumors. All of it was making my head spin.

"How do you listen to all of this?" I asked with my eyes still glued on the TV.

"I don't, or at least I try not to." Ian said and took the remote from me before turning it to another channel.

"It's so hard. I feel like I can't turn on or read anything anymore without seeing my face." I said.

"No one ever said that fame is easy. You're handling it well." He replied. "Seriously, you know how to handle yourself out there."

"Like it's really cool but also very humbling." I smiled. "I honestly wouldn't change what's happened to me for anything in the world."

"You think you're really gonna quit?" He asked after a little pause.

"I don't want to. I really don't. I love you guys and I wanna keep doing this for the rest of my life. I think I just have to take it slow now. I'll go back to Atlanta but I'll just be on call in case I have to go home again." I replied and Ian smiled a little.

"I don't think Julie or Kevin would have a problem with it. It's your family. I'd so the same thing if a loved one of mine was in the hospital." He said. "Guess that means I'll have to give you back your chair." He joked. We had a joke on set that we would sit in each other's chairs. Ian would always take mine. I even uploaded some pictures to twitter with him sitting my chair. It would get pretty comical when we'd fold them up and place them in random places where the person's chair in question couldn't find them.

"Hmm yeah I guess so." I giggled.

"That girl today really loved you. She thought you were her hero." He said.

"Please, if anything she's a hero. Sienna's a fighter."

"You were really good with her. Very caring and down to Earth." Ian complimented.

"Well I think my parents raised me right." I said proudly. It was true. I was who I was because of my parents. They could be tough at times but I wouldn't want it to be any other way.

"I completely agree." He said. This damn guy had to stop complimenting me or else I'd spontaneously combust. "I missed you when you left." He said honestly.

"I missed you too." I repeated with a smile. I really did. He was just so grounded and fun. His phone beeped with a call that his car was here and I walked him outside.

"So, I'll see you in Atlanta when we go back to shooting?" He inquired as he stood in between the open car door.

"You'll see me." I smiled and he smiled back. Ian bent down to get in the car, "Ian!" I called and he stopped abruptly. I walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for everything today."

He seemed a little stunned by my actions but smiled nonetheless. "Anytime beautiful." He winked and got in the car. Walking back into my house I flopped down on my bed like I did this morning but it wasn't because I was weary. It was because I was falling hard for Ian Somerhalder.

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><p><strong>Hope you guys liked it! Please review :)<strong>


	7. TVD Family

**Hello all! I think you will be pleased for the outcome of this chapter! I had a little bit of a tough time getting it out to you but without further ado…here's the next chapter :)**

**Thanks to all of the reviews, favorites, alerts and messages! Hugs and kisses xoxo**

**An amazing thank you to ****HarleyQuinn88**** for being an incredible beta!**

**I own nothing of TVD or Ian Somerhalder, only Kate and my story.**

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><p>The next couple of weeks had been utter chaos. I had been flying back and forth between Atlanta and New York and I was just about near exhausted. I was very lucky that Julie and Kevin had been so understanding of my situation. I'd be up all day and night between shooting, interviews and press conferences. My dad made a full recovery and only when he was settled back home did I fly back to Atlanta to finish shooting. I was excited to get back into the swing of things. It wasn't like I didn't enjoy my time in New York with my family, but I was missing my VD family.<p>

I arrived on set and Nina, Katerina and Candice damn near tackled me to the floor. We were all in hysterics since we were trying to untangle ourselves. Paul, Michael and Steven even jumped in on the dog pile while Ian was doubled over in laughter. He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture before uploading it to his twitter. The caption read: "We're just a little happy that Kate's back on set."

"Oh my God, Nina! You're sitting on my hand!" I cried out.

"That's not me! Someone's knee is right by my head!" Nina protested while trying to push Paul off her.

"Paul, get off! You weigh a ton!" Candice yelled. Someway, somehow we all managed to get to our feet and dust off our clothes. I eyed Ian who was eyeing me and I tucked a stray curl behind my ear.

"Hey, you." I said coyly and walked over to him.

"Hey, you." He smirked and met me halfway. Suddenly Ian swept me up in his arms and spun me around. I shrieked and held onto him tightly while the others just watched with sly smiles etching their way onto their faces. "I missed you." Ian said into my ear and kissed my cheek.

"I missed you too." I smiled as his put me down. I continued to look up at him but my gaze was broken hearing the group snicker behind me. Paul, Steven and Michael were making kissy noises while Nina, Candice and Katerina were giggling. Ian looked over my shoulder, glaring at the boys before running after them. Yep, things were back to normal.

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><p>I was sitting in my make up chair when Candice sat next to me with a digital camera in her hands. I looked out of the corner of my eye while the makeup artist was applying some makeup on me. Today we were doing the scenes where Rose and Cassandra got bitten by Jules so I was pretty much being made down. My eyes had dark circles around them and my skin was made to be paler than the norm.<p>

"And here we have the very sexy, Miss Kate Walker." She announced. "She's getting touched up for some scenes today by Cocoa." Candice narrated.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked.

"Making some videos of 'behind the scenes' footage for the Season 2 DVD." She replied.

"Cool." I said excitedly.

"Okay," Candice cleared her throat before trying out her best Morgan Freeman impression. "And what scenes are we doing today, Miss Walker?" She asked seriously and I couldn't help but giggle.

"I am going to be sick from Jules's werewolf bite." I replied as seriously as possible but that didn't work too well. Cocoa then sprayed my face with some water to give the illusion of sweat. Viewing my reflection in the mirror, I looked pretty ghastly and sick. We did the scene until the point where Ian had to carry me downstairs to the cellar. I was called out for the amber contacts and fangs before heading back into Ian's waiting arms. He held me while I screamed and thrashed in his grip. The look in his eyes was one of pain and hopelessness, but being Cassandra I wasn't supposed to be aware of it. Paul handed me a blood bag and I had to make sure I was wild enough when shooting this scene. I thought back to every character that was delusional in movies and I tried to pull my inspiration from that. After having a mouthful of blood, I lurched and pretended to throw it up before snarling again.

Watching the playback I was surprised by my own performance. I looked extra crazy with the blood dripping down my chin and my eyes all weirded out. The following scenes were of Rose's death and I knew that the director wanted me to pretty much have a break down on camera. I knew that I had to mentally prepare myself for it so I sat in my chair with my iPod plugged into my ears. I tried to pool as many feelings as I could together. I thought about my insecurities, my dad's health scare, my homesickness, and anything else that could add to the pile. Once I was ready, I walked myself down to set. I didn't get much direction from the director so I assumed that he just wanted me to try some things out for myself. I paced the living room of the Salvatore boarding house before moving to the bar to pour a drink. My face suddenly twisted in anger and I hurled the glass toward the wall. The small coffee table was next; I flipped it over and screamed out loud. I fisted my hands in my hair, yanking roughly and fell down to my knees.

Ian entered the house and we quickly started an argument. I thought about all the times I've fought with anyone and how angry I got. I slapped Ian and this back and forth confrontation went on before I was utterly exhausted from letting all of my feelings out. I leaned against Ian, my head on his chest and sobbed pathetically. Ian carried me upstairs and set me down on Damon's bed before discarding his shirt and lying down next to me. I snuggled into him and sighed against his warm skin. I was squealing inside because it was the closest I'd gotten to his abs. The scenes were finished and I breathed out a sigh of relief. I was happy that the doom and gloom scenes were over.

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><p>"I can't believe you really hit me!" Ian whined as he rubbed his red cheek. We were alone in my dressing room since everyone else was either in makeup or on set.<p>

"I'm so sorry, Ian." I apologized. It wasn't in the script for me to hit him but I was so blinded by trying to give the most authentic performance. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?" I spoke in a baby voice and pouted my lips.

"Yes please." He smirked and pointed to the angry hand print on his cheek. I puckered my lips and kissed the skin.

"Better?" I quipped.

"Much better." Ian winked. "You did really well today."

"Thanks. I just hated being so angry, ya know? I'm not an angry person so having to dig really deep was hard." I replied.

"You pulled it off." He smiled and got up. "Was that some karate move you did on me? I want you to teach me." He said and pulled me up from my chair.

"It was something like that, yeah." I shrugged and Ian put his hands up like a boxer. "No," I said and placed my hands over his, pressing them down to rest lower. "Not yet. Swing at me." I said nonchalantly and Ian's face dropped.

"No way. I can't hit a girl." He shook his head.

"I didn't say 'hit me'. I said just take a swing at me." I clarified and waited for Ian to make his move.

"I don't know, Kate…" He trailed off.

"Oh come on! Don't be a big baby!" I smirked and no sooner had I finished my insult, Ian swung at me and I quickly caught his wrist. Ian quickly wrestled his arm from my grip and took hold on my wrist, completely reversing the position of dominance. He pulled me closer so we were pressed up against each other, our chests heaving. I smiled, a breathy laugh escaping my lips and the same with Ian. Our quiet laughter died down and we were left tangled together. My eyes trailed from his beautiful eyes down to his parted lips. This man was handsome in every way and he was even more breathtaking up close. "Ian…I…" I whispered softly but no words came out. I was speechless; I didn't know what to say to him. I wanted to grab him and kiss him but we still had to maintain a professional relationship.

Ian placed a finger on my lips to quiet my protest before dragging it down my chin. His hand then cupped my face and his thumb played over my jaw line. I was completely mesmerized by his touch. He was so gentle and tender as he caressed my skin. "Kate…" He echoed huskily and his tone sent shivers down my spine. I leaned into him like I was in a trance and Ian did the same. He was so close to me that I felt his breath on my lips. I looked up at his eyes once more before he gently pulled me closer and finally our lips touched in a soft kiss. My eyes fluttered closed and Ian's arm snaked its way around my waist. I sighed as my hand went to the back of his neck and my fingers threaded into the hair at the base of his neck. Our lips moved delicately over one another's and I was floating on a cloud. I couldn't believe that I was really kissing Ian! The even better part of it is that he was kissing me back!

"Hey Kate, they need you on…whoa…" Nina trailed off as she stepped into the room. Ian and I immediately broke apart and stepped back, untangling from each other. I blushed beat red and I could feel my cheeks heating up. "I hope I wasn't interrupting." She added cheekily and my eyes quickly found the tile floor more interesting than what Nina had to say.

"We were just…uhm…" Ian started but he couldn't find his words either.

"No, it's fine. I didn't see anything." Nina winked but my cheeks remained that same beat red color. "Kate, Catt Sadler from E! News is here for you." She added and I stole a quick glance at Ian before leaving.

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><p>The interview had planned for us to sit outside the Salvatore mansion, the sun was shining and it truly was a beautiful day. E! News had done a couple of interviews with the cast so they decided to come back and they wanted to interview me. It was pretty weird sitting only a couple feet across from Catt Sadler since I normally saw her on my TV screen. I got all of my gossip from E! News so this was a huge honor. My head was still spinning from my kiss with Ian. I managed to lessen the blush on my face before I went out. My After all it was my first real kiss with a gorgeous guy.<p>

"So, Kate Walker, I am so happy to meet you. Thanks so much for letting us come here and talk to you." Catt said cheerfully.

"Thanks so much for coming here. I'm very honored." I smiled.

"Alright so let's get started, now you're character is not in the books at all. Has that been a challenge to you in anyway?"

"Oh of course! Every day is a challenge for me because it's hard to imagine what the public would want from this character. For example Damon, Stefan and Elena are pretty much out lined in the books with some mild changes so they know what they have to do as far as character work goes. My job is a little bit harder because I just have the script and the direction of Julie and Kevin to help me. Sometimes it's tough but I know that I'm not alone since Steven McQueen's character, Jeremy, was not in the books either. I mean granted he was supposed to be a four year old girl named Margaret, but you get what I mean." I laughed at the last part and so did Catt.

"How is everyone on set? Do you guys all get along?" She asked.

"This entire cast is like my second family and I can honestly say that all of us really do get along. I love coming to work every morning because I know that I have friends and family here. They've all been so warm and welcoming to me even when I first came onto set." I answered. It was the truth, no one fought or bickered.

"And why do you think people are so enamored by this show?"

"I think it's because, yes, even though some of these characters are supernatural they still feel and that makes it relatable to other people. I think that the greatest comment an actor or actress can receive is that their performance was genuine or believable. Everyone from the actors to the extras to the entire crew works their butt off and it pays off when you see this show." I replied and I happened to look over Catt's shoulder to see Ian staring at me. He waved and blew a kiss at me and I pretended to catch it. Catt managed to catch the whole thing and she smiled.

"What about your costar, Ian Somerhalder? You two seem pretty close." She commented with a little cheeky smile. I knew this question was coming.

"Yeah, Ian has been such a big help since this is my first time taking on a project this big. He makes it very easy to interact with him when the cameras are turned on because he really gives his all. Now I'm not saying that the other characters don't, my character spends most of her time with Damon and they know each other inside out. They were in love in 1864 when they were humans so they've known what being in love with each other feels like."

"Rumors are buzzing about you and Ian having a little off camera romance."

"Nope, no romance for me. We're just friends." I wish. I thought to myself. It would be nice to be Ian's girlfriend but right now I had to deal with us being friends. However our moment in my dressing room said otherwise.

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><p><strong>So Kate and Ian's first kiss! Will their relationship blossom?<strong>

**Please review :)**


	8. Love Scenes and True Feelings

**AN #1: This one's a little more fluffy and I had to do some research about love scenes are filmed in TV.**

**AN #2: Thanks so much to all of my lovely reviewers :)**

**A big thank you to HarleyQuinn88 for being my amazing beta :)**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

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><p>After the interview with Catt Sadler, I walked past my dressing room door when someone suddenly pulled me inside. I moved to scream but someone put a hand over my mouth.<p>

"Shh! It's me." It was Nina. She let go of me and I turned to face her.

"What was that for?" I asked her and she didn't answer me as she went to close and lock the door. "Nina, what the hell are you doing?"

"So…how was it?" She looked at me expectantly and I just stared back at her.

"How was what?" I gaped at her and she rolled her eyes.

"Gee, I don't know. I just walked in on you kissing Ian. No big deal." Nina smirked and I blushed. "Oh my God! You're blushing!" She squealed and I shushed her.

"I'm sorry you had to walk in on that." I mumbled.

"Just next time, lock the door." She winked at me.

"Oh come on, Nina! It was nothing." I dismissed the matter completely but Nina wouldn't let it go.

"Oh, okay! You guys were full on kissing and it was nothing." She scoffed.

I ran my fingers through my hair, "Just please don't tell anyone."

"Oh, no, I won't! I would never." She promised and did a scouts honor which I returned to her. "So…?" She prodded and a smile found its way across my lips.

"It was wonderful!" I squealed. "He's just so gentle and handsome and…I don't know what he's doing with me." I finished and I frowned.

"What? Are you crazy? He kissed you because he feels something for you!" Nina protested.

"I don't know how he could. I'm just a girl! I'm nothing special." I said and Nina smacked me. "HEY! What was that for?" I asked as I nursed my cheek.

"You're crazy! Don't talk like that!" She yelled and I just grumbled. Nina took me by the shoulders and turned me towards my mirror. "Okay, so ignore the red handprint on your face. I see a beautiful girl who just needs someone to point it out to her." She said and I looked at myself in the mirror. My brown eyes ran down my body before meeting my gaze back in the mirror again. Nina was right; I needed someone to point out that I was being an idiot.

"I hate it when you're right." I giggled and hugged her tight.

"Oh shut up!" She joked.

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><p>I was reading the script for the following episode but my eyes couldn't focus on the words. Things between Ian and I were a little more awkward than I wanted them to be. I never wanted that to happen. There was just a lot going with me right now. I liked Ian. I would even go so far as to say that I could love him but…how did he feel about me? I was never the pretty girl in high school. I was always the girl who sat in the front of the class, got good grades and always did what she was told. Nothing really mattered except my family and my studies so it seemed so foreign to care about a guy that I had feelings for. I needed some kind of help, some sort of divine intervention or something. I never thought I would ever be worth having a guy care for me. My mom would always yell at me whenever I talked like this but I couldn't help it. I needed someone to show me that all guys aren't the same and that I'm worth it. It was now even ten times more awkward that I had to play a character that was madly in love with Damon. Tonight we were shooting 'The Dinner Party' episode and from reading the script I could tell that this one was gonna be a doozy. Cassandra would get stabbed in the heart by Elijah, die in Damon's arms only to come back to life by some freaky kind of occurrence, and then she and Damon would admit their love to each other and make passionate lo-WHOA! Wait, what? I read the script over and over again but there it was in black and white ink.<p>

_**Damon: This isn't real.**_

_**Cassandra: (kisses Damon) Was that real enough for you?**_

_**Damon caresses her face, trying to make sense of the fact that she is really still alive. He kisses her gently and she returns his kiss. The two of them move to the bed and remove their clothing as they continue kissing. They are both naked now as Damon kisses her neck.**_

_**Cassandra: I love you too, Damon. I never got the chance to say it back. I love you, Damon,**__**so much.**_

_**Damon: I thought I lost you forever.**_

_**Cassandra: But you didn't. It's going to take more than an Original to get rid of me.**_

_**The couple is making love when their vampire sides come to the surface. Cassandra uses her nail to cut the skin on her collar bone.**_

_**Cassandra: Bite me, Damon.**_

_**He bites her and she bites his neck as they continue to make love. They finish and they both pull back their fangs from the opposite's skin. Cassandra looks down at him while he looks up longingly at her.**_

_**Damon: (kisses Cassandra) I love you, Cassandra.**_

_**She smiles down at him and pulls Damon in for another kiss. The lights fade down on the couple. End scene.**_

My eyes were wide as I read the words over. Well, this would be ridiculously awkward when this was set to be filmed later.

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><p>The scenes for the dinner party went by relatively quickly. Cassandra had died and come back to life while Damon was completely oblivious to the fact that she was alive. I was waiting off to the side with Ian while the director wanted to fix the scene where Elena daggers Elijah. I was already dressed in my long t-shirt with my hair done in luscious curls and Ian was in his normal costume.<p>

"Hey." He said simply.

"Hey." I echoed and rocked nervously on the balls of my feet. The silence between us was killing me so I just had to say something. "Look, Ian, about what happened in my dressing room…I didn't mean for it to happen that way and I'm sorry." I blabbed out.

"You don't have to be sorry." He wrinkled his nose. "I didn't push you away. I wanted it just as much as you did." Ian said truthfully and I looked back at him. He wanted it?

"Ian, Kate! We're ready for you!" The director called before I could even ask Ian what he meant. Ian held out his hand and I took it shyly. He kissed the back of my hand I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Let's get these two together." He said and I smiled back at him.

I knew that this scene couldn't be too intimate. This was channel 11 for God sakes! However it was standard protocol that I had to wear pasties covering nipples and one covering my lower regions. Ian had to wear a beige sock so it wouldn't be noticeable in the scene. I felt uncomfortable standing in a plush robe with nothing underneath while they readied the scene. I spoke with Nina before I had to film this love scene and she just told me to ignore everything except Ian. She informed me that it would be awkward at first but the two of us would get through it. The cameras were rolling as I was lying down with Ian on top of me on the bed after he had removed my clothes and I helped him to remove his. There we were, nearly nude and vulnerable in a room full of people. Ian kissed me and I sighed softly. I didn't wanna moan too loud, this wasn't a porno. This scene was supposed to be a passionate joining of two lovers that had finally admitted their love for each other. Ian moved down to kiss my neck and all I could think was that my family and friends would be seeing this! I was absolutely mortified! We exchanged lines and Ian looked back in my eyes before making a move to enter me. I arched my back as Ian leaned his forehead down to lean against mine. We both moaned and he started to move his hips at a constant pace.

"Kate, drag your nails down his back and turn your head to the left a little." The director instructed and I looped my arms underneath Ian's and scratched over his shoulder blades. I then angled my head slightly. "Good. Ian, now lift her up gently to sit on your lap." Ian followed the directions perfectly. "Keep your arms around her upper back so we don't see her breasts." He added and Ian tightened his hold on me. I moved my hips at a slow pace before bouncing lightly. Ian and I were panting and sighing we moved against each other. I held Ian's strong shoulders and dig my nails into his skin. While I was thrusting my hips, I felt heat pool between my legs while I felt Ian harden against me. I wasn't a moron, I knew what happened when guys got aroused and Ian was definitely aroused by this situation. I couldn't be a prude because I was practically aching for him to touch me. I ran my fingers through his hair and kissed Ian passionately when the director called cut. We remained tangled while some assistants brought over our fangs and some fake blood. I spread some on the side of finger that would be facing away from the camera so I could make it look like I had cut my skin and an assistant did the same to Ian's neck. We started filming again and we started where we left off.

I smeared the fake blood on my skin of my collarbone, "Bite me, Damon." I breathed and Ian latched his lips over the cut. My head fell backwards feeling his tongue swirl around and I moved myself to bite into his neck. When we pulled back from each other, our mouths were stained with the fake blood. I smiled down at Ian and he cupped my cheek to kiss me again.

"I love you, Cassandra." He whispered against my lips before tangling his fingers in my hair and kissing me again. We continued to kiss until we heard the director call cut. Our assistants grabbed us our robes and I snuggled into mine, happy that I had something to cover me.

* * *

><p>I headed back to my dressing room and changed into my normal clothes. I got a call from Julie that they needed me to read a couple of scenes for people who would possibly play Klaus. Truthfully I was really excited since the entire show had been building up to this character. I read some scenes with some actors, all of them were pretty good but I didn't think any of them could be Klaus. I was leaning against the table, talking with Julie and Kevin when a young man walked into the room. He was a little taller than Ian with blondish-brown hair and blue eyes. He was incredible handsome and I found myself smiling at his English accent.<p>

"Hey, Joseph." Kevin smiled and shook the man's hand.

"Hello Kevin and Julie, it's nice to meet you both." Joseph smiled and I could see his dimples.

"Same here. Alright, so we're gonna have you read a couple of scenes with Kate." Julie instructed.

"Ah yes, Kate. It's nice to meet you. I'm Joseph Morgan." Joseph shook my hand gently. I smiled and he smiled back at me.

"A pleasure, Joseph." I squeaked and we read a bunch of scenes together. He was really fantastic! I felt like he captured the character of Klaus perfectly. He could switch his humanity off like a switch and plus his character and mine didn't get along so it was fun to be snarky and snide with him. During the readings I could tell that Kevin and Julie loved him and he seemed like a nice guy to work with. He must have been extremely experienced and trained but I hadn't heard of anything he was in. I would be sure to look into that later, but for now it looks like we've found our Klaus.

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><p><em>Hey, you free? I need to talk to you.<em>

I stared at the message from Ian. Don't guys understand that a simple text like that could mean so many different things? The word 'need' obviously meant that it was imperative that he speak to me today. Not tomorrow, not next week – now. The message itself was pretty self-explanatory, however he didn't say exactly what he needed to talk to me about. One suggestion could mean that he wanted to talk to me about the kiss in my dressing room. Another would be to explain what he meant by telling me that he wanted to kiss me just as much as I wanted to kiss him. Truthfully I wanted to do more than just kiss him. I wanted to 'roll him up and smoke him' and I don't even smoke! That quote coming from my aunt whenever she saw a ridiculously hot guy.

Or the third and final reason that I didn't even want to think about was that he just wanted to stay friends and not further this kind of relationship that we had going on. I had always had that idea at the back of my head. What can I say? I'm a Debbie Downer. A doubt planner – as Bonnie said she was in season one of this show. Maybe it's because any kind of a relationship I've tried to pursue, the guys have shut me down. For example, my best friend in high school, Theresa, was gorgeous. Every guy in the school wanted her so that she had to fight them off with a stick. We had built our friendship in ninth grade when we were the only freshman in an Earth Science class so naturally underclassmen tend to stick together. Her friends became my friends and, not gonna lie, some of them were good looking. So I'd try to talk to them, hoping that one of them would find me attractive but I always came up empty handed. It was pretty depressing so I decided to not worry about boys in high school. I concentrated on my studies and graduated with honors. The college life was definitely different so it took getting used to. I was a commuter so when my classes were finished I'd just go home. I was never a party girl so I didn't go to the bars off campus because I didn't want anyone slurring or slobbering over me. Plus the college guys only wanted a quick fuck and that's not what I want out of life. Truthfully I don't think any men want to be in relationships at all. I've come to the conclusion that I will become a cat lady in my old age. I've given up. I've thrown in the towel. I'm waving the white flag.

And ladies and gents, this is the reason why I'm still single. I think too much.

"Kate…Kate!" Nina's voice disturbed me from my internal rant since I hadn't answered her question. In fact, I've completely forgotten what she wanted to ask me.

"What?" I asked as if I hadn't been staring off into space.

"Is everything okay? I've called your name like five times." She said.

"Yeah, Ian just wants to talk to me." I replied.

"Wants or needs?" She asked.

"Needs. Why, is that bad?"

"I don't know. Maybe he wants to talk about your 'blossoming relationship'." Nina giggled.

"Oh come on! You need to stop with that!" I laughed.

"By the way, how was your love scene? I know that it's crazy nerve-wracking."

"It went…well." I finally decided on that word.

"Just well?" Nina raised an eyebrow and I nodded.

"Yeah…ya know what, I'm gonna go find Ian." I said dismissively and moved to leave.

"Yep, you go do that." Nina smirked and I threw a glare at her over my shoulder. She just shrugged innocently and I left to meet Ian.

* * *

><p>"Hey, I got your text. Everything okay?" I asked coolly. Surprisingly my voice didn't waver or crack since that's what normally happens when I'm nervous.<p>

"Yeah I just wanted to talk to you about something." He said simply. Okay so this didn't sound too bad, then again I couldn't be too sure.

"I wanted to talk to you about something too." I said as I sat down next to him. I found Ian in a quiet corner of the studio. Pretty much everyone was working on set so we had this little quiet space to ourselves.

"Oh. Well ladies first. I insist." He smiled.

"Nope, you were first."

"Nahh, it would be rude if I went first." He insisted so I decided to take the initiative.

"Okay…uhm what did you mean when you said that you wanted to kiss me as much as you did."

"Well…I like you, Kate." He said sincerely and I nearly fell over. He liked me! Ian liked me! I was only silently praying that this wouldn't be an 'I like you but you're just not my type'. I hated that! That was always the popular response whenever I liked a guy. I think I'd rather have them tell me the real reason for not liking me. "You're beautiful, talented, and sweet and I know I haven't known you for a long time, but I wanna know you more." All I could do was smile. I couldn't believe my ears. This was a dream. It had to be. There was no way that this was happening to me. My brain definitely stopped working and I was just staring at him like a moron. "Why aren't you saying anything?" He said with a little nervous laugh and I broke out of my trance.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I just…wasn't expecting that." I laughed. Boy, was it hot in here? Because I swore I could feel my face heating up. "I like you too, Ian. A lot." I said sweetly and Ian's eyes twinkled as he smiled back at me. "I'm almost shocked really."

"Why?" Ian asked.

"Well…you're tall and dark and handsome."

"I'm not that tall." He smirked, wiggling his eyebrows at me much like Damon would do.

"I'm just trying to decipher whether I'm in a dream or not." I laughed and Ian placed his hand under my chin to tilt my head to meet my eyes with his. I looked at him, dazed but he leaned closer to me until our lips met. I thought my brain wasn't working before – it sure as hell wasn't working now. His soft lips caressed mine in such a tender way that I sighed softly and titled my body to face his so he could get a better angle. I didn't want this to stop. His kisses were beyond addictive and I was a junkie. I registered the feeling of his thumb moving over my jaw line as he continued to kiss me. I managed to catch his bottom lip between my lips and lightly sucked, drawing a moan from him. Ian made me feel bold and daring. He pulled me closer to him by the base of my neck as he returned the favor. I gasped at the feeling of him sucking my lip. My heart was ringing in my ears and I felt my face heat up. I slowly and begrudgingly pulled away, realizing that we were still in the studio and that anyone could just walk by. My eyes locked with Ian's and his pupils were slightly dilated as I'm sure mine were.

"Still dreaming?" Ian smirked.

"Maybe." I replied coyly. I was thoroughly enjoying staring into his gorgeous eyes when my phone buzzed. I internally groaned and saw that it was a text from Nina.

_Everything go okay? I wanna hear everything! Mani/pedi later?_

I smirked to myself. She'd probably shit herself when I told her what happened. "Hey, uhm I gotta go. Nina and I apparently have mani/pedi appointments." I laughed and so did he.

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you later?" He inquired and I nodded.

"I'll see you later." I confirmed.

Man, Nina was gonna freak!

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><p><strong>So it looks like Ian and Kate are on the same page :) Will their romance last? Or will something or someone come between them?<strong>

**Please review and lemme know if you liked it!**


	9. Bowling Alleys and Wounded Pride

**Hello all! Hope you're all enjoying your holiday season! Thanks so much for the lovely reviews! I have a twitter so follow me if you'd like at TDancer365**

**Thanks HarleyQuinn88 for being a lovely beta!**

**I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story. Please review! :)**

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><p>Okay, so Nina flipped a switch! She was so happy that this little relationship of mine was blossoming. I felt happy too, like I was reborn. Our relationship was a little subdued. We wouldn't kiss in public, only when we were alone. It wasn't like we were ashamed of our relationship; we just wanted it to be intimate. Ian made me so happy and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. We'd done a pretty good job as far as keeping our relationship a secret, but I had a feeling the cast and crew knew that something was going on.<p>

The following week I was sitting with Nina and Joseph as he got fitted for his fangs. He'd gotten the part of Klaus and he was to be a hybrid on the show. It would later be revealed that I would be one as well.

"So you've made it to the big time, huh?" I joked, elbowing him.

"It feels like it." He replied. Ooh that accent of his sent shivers down my spine. "Do you girls have any advice for me being a new vampire?" He asked.

"Practice your vampire face!" Nina and I shouted at the same time and then turned to each other. "Jinx! You owe me a coke!" We said in unison once again and Joseph laughed.

"Oh God! Are they finishing each other's sentences again?" Paul scoffed as he walked into the room.

"Not quite. They're speaking simultaneously." Joseph smirked.

"Hey!" I smacked Paul's arm. "Don't make fun! You're just jealous that Nina loves me more." I smirked.

"Uhm, well she is my on-screen romance." Paul said.

"My love for you is all a lie!" Nina said dramatically. "I've been having an affair with Joseph." She added and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Joseph, you bastard!" Paul jabbed a finger at him. "Then I'll just have Kate to help me satisfy my needs." He smirked and twirled me into his grip before dipping me. Yep, I guess this is what sleep deprivation sounds like. All of us had been working non-stop and we tried to sleep whenever it was possible. Sometimes Nina and I would grab pillows and blankets and camp out in my dressing room.

"Not trying to steal my favorite vampire, are you Paul?" Ian smirked as he saw the four of us kidding around.

"No way, Ian." Paul joked and set me up right.

"You're not jealous are you, Ian?" I raised an eyebrow at him and crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"Me? Jealous?" He smirked and suddenly hauled me up over his shoulder.

"Ian! What are you doing?" I squealed.

"Kevin and Julie need us." He answered simply.

"Oh! Alright, bye guys. I'll see you later!" I waved to them over Ian's shoulder and screamed when Ian spanked my behind. "Where are you taking me exactly?" I asked as I craned my head around to see that we passed the Gilbert house set.

"The Salvatore House." He answered simply.

"Oh, of course! We practically live in that place!" I said exasperatedly as I rested my chin in my hand and my elbow on Ian's back. We were getting stares and laughs from the crew but we took it in stride. I was right now having the time of my life working on this show and I wouldn't let anything ruin it. It was pretty comical since Ian looked like a caveman who was taking a cave woman back to his cave. Ian suddenly sat me down and pulled me behind a set wall and kissed me. I was so surprised by the action and immediately kissed him back and the numbing haze crept over my brain as I continued to kiss him. My tongue gently brushed his before we were full on French kissing. Boy, did this man know how to kiss. I moaned, threading my fingers in his hair and Ian pulled me closer. Being in his arms, I was so happy I could die. Reluctantly, we pulled away for oxygen and I rested my head back against the wall. "What was that for?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Do I need a reason to kiss my girlfriend?" Ian countered and my eyes widened. He never called me his girlfriend before.

"Your girlfriend? Is there another woman I don't know about?" I smirked, placing my hands on my hips.

"Not unless she's going to compete against you, which is damn near impossible." He said and I smiled widely.

"You're too sweet." I giggled and gave him a chaste kiss. "Come on we have to get to set before they all start looking for us." I said, lacing my fingers with his and pulling him along with me. Ian whined, not really too happy to work, but such is life.

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><p>After doing a bunch of scenes for the upcoming episode 'The House Guest', I went back to my hotel room and crashed for a couple of hours. I had done some stunt fighting with Nina as Katherine. It was nothing too strenuous but it was tiring nonetheless. I didn't realize I had fallen asleep until my phone buzzed with a phone call from Ian. I immediately smiled, my heart beating a million miles a minute.<p>

"Hey you." I greeted with a yawn.

_"Well it's about time! I've been trying to reach you for the last hour."_ He said.

"I was sleeping." I replied.

_"Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry."_

"No, it's fine. I needed to get up anyway." I said. Truthfully it was pretty stellar that I was waking up to the sound of his voice. God, he had such a sexy telephone voice. "What's up?"

_"A bunch of us rented out a couple of lanes at a bowling alley downtown. Wanna join us?"_

I inwardly groaned. I really hated bowling. I was so terrible at it. Ever heard of someone getting a one for a score? Well I have. Plus those bowling shoes were ridiculously unfashionable. "Blechh, I hate bowling but I'll join you guys." I replied.

_"Oh, don't be such a party pooper. Besides, I'll be there."_ I could practically hear his smirk through the phone. It was interesting that sometimes his 'Damon' personality showed through when we were together. That was totally fine with me because before I was on the show I wanted to jump Damon's bones.

"And you can teach me how to bowl the right way." I said with a little smirk.

_"Ooh I like the sound of that."_ He said. _"I'll text you when I'm here."_

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><p>Ian wasn't kidding when he said a bunch of us were going out. Arriving at the bowling alley I recognized at least everyone from the cast. People noticed who we were but they still continued their bowling with their friends. I got my bowling shoes (yuck) and was picking out a ball when Ian bumped my hip.<p>

"So, you gonna pick a light weight ball, shorty?" He quipped and I smacked his shoulder.

"No." I stuck my tongue out at him and spied a hot pink ball. I tried my fingers in the holes, making sure they fit before picking it up. "I think you should try this one." I smirked, holding out the ball to him.

"I don't think so." He laughed and picked up a black ball that looked a whole lot heavier than mine. "Now this is a man's ball." I rolled my eyes and brought my ball down to a lane.

"How are we doing this?" Paul asked as he sat himself down at the computer.

"Guys versus girls!" Nina exclaimed and gave me a high five. Paul entered all of our names under the appropriate teams. Nina, Katerina, Candice, Sara Canning, Dawn Olivieri and I were on a team while Paul, Ian, Matt Davis, Joseph, Steven McQueen and Michael were on the other team.

"Team names?" Paul inquired once all of the names were put in.

"Great Balls of Fire." Matt suggested and the guys laughed while Paul entered that in.

"What do you think ladies?" Dawn asked us. I had met Dawn a couple weeks ago and she was a sweetie, the same with Sara. It was too bad I wasn't in a lot of scenes with them.

We all thought hard about a name until Nina shouted out, "Dolls with Balls!" We all stared at her before busting out laughing.

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" I said.

"Ooh that's a good name." Candice giggled.

"No, not that! I was talking to Nina!" I clarified and she shoved me.

"How about Pin Ups?" Katerina suggested and we thought about it, trying to connect the name to a bowling reference. "You know like pin up girls?" She added and we all understood her thinking.

"Ohhhh!" We said collectively and Paul shook his head, entering in the team. We had all gotten drinks sent to our lanes and toasted to a good game played by all. Candice was the first to go and she got a strike. Our entire team was shouting and cheering for her while the boys sat there and grumbled. Paul was next and it looked like he got a strike but there was still one pin left wobbling.

"Oh no! Come on!" Paul stamped his feet, trying to get the pin to fall down but it didn't work.

"You got this, Paul!" Ian shouted down the lane and Paul launched another ball down at the pin. It rolled down and just brushed against the side of the pin, making it wobble again before it finally fell down. The boys hooted, high-fiving each other all around.

All of us took turns throwing our balls down the lane and we were doing pretty well for ourselves. The Pin Ups were beating the guy's team, not by a lot but it still gave us bragging rights. My turn was next and I bowled a 7 which was pretty miraculous for me. I guess that apple martini was helping me. I did a little victory dance on the lane before going back to the ball return to retrieve my ball. I reached for my hot pink ball when Ian stole it right off the rack. I scoffed, trying to take it back from him but he held it high above me.

"Give it back, Smolderholder!" I jumped for the ball but he pulled it back.

"Nah ah. I don't think I will." He wiggled his eyebrows at me. Oh, so he wanted to play dirty. I smirked and pulled him down to my level by the collar of his shirt and gave him a quick kiss. Pulling back, I bit my lip trying to stifle my laughter because the look on Ian's face was priceless. It was an expression of utter confusion and shock mixed with a little bit of lust. Everyone else around us seemed to be shocked as well.

"I think I deserve my ball back, please." I said and held out my hands. Ian smirked down at me and placed the ball in my hands. I moved back to the lane and prepare to bowl. The ball was just leaving my hands when I felt someone smack my ass. I squealed, the ball going off course and I turned to see Ian standing there. "Oh come on! That was so not fair!" I yelled.

"Payback for kissing me." Ian said.

"Wait, look!" Nina said and I looked over my shoulder to see all 3 pins knocked down on the lane. The guys were grumbling once again while us girls cheered. "Maybe you should spank her ass more often." Nina joked and spanked me hard.

"Oww! Guys, stop it!" I moaned, placing my hands over my butt in an effort to stop their abuse.

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><p>The game went on until we finally won! In my opinion we should have taken bets but I guess we'd have to do that another time. Ian and I were walking to his car and we bid everyone goodbye. We got in the car and I couldn't help but shiver at the new car smell. Since the night was still young, I decided to stop by Ian's place. It was relatively close to mine, distance wise, and I wanted to see the place. Walking inside, it was very cozy and it looked like it fit him. I shrugged off my sweatshirt and Ian took it from me, ever the gentleman, and laid it on one of the armchairs.<p>

"You want anything?" He asked as he was on his way into the kitchen.

"Uhm, water is fine, thanks." I replied as I took a seat on the couch. Man, I could see myself spending more time here. Just saying! Ian came back with my water and I took a couple of sips. "So, tonight was fun! Thanks for inviting me."

"Yeah, it was. Tell me the truth…where did you learn to bowl so well?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you said you sucked!"

"I did! I do! Blame the apple martini!" I defended. "When I'm sober I'm lucky I can keep the ball on the lane." I said pathetically and Ian laughed out loud. "So how does it feel, being beaten by a team of girls?" I smirked.

"I promise you that we will have a rematch and we will win." Ian proclaimed and pointed a finger at me. I swatted his hand away playfully and he pounced on me. I let out a little scream in surprise but felt at ease looking up at him. I smiled and ran a hand through his lush hair. Ian leaned down, his lips meeting with mine and I accepted gratefully. God, his lips! They were perfect! They were soft yet had a roughness to them that made me want to kiss him more. His lips moved down to my neck where I could feel his teeth gently nibbling away at my skin. Working on a vampire show I had learned how sensitive and seductive the neck was. I sighed, threading my fingers through his hair and pulled his lips back up to meet mine since I instantly missed the feeling. I nibbled at his bottom lip, my tongue snaking with his. My hands then moved to his back where I was playing with the hem of his shirt. Getting my hint, Ian pulled it over his head and I was once again speechless from his perfect body. I ghosted the pad of my fingertips over his body and he visibly shivered, his muscles shifting under his skin. He cradled my face and brought my lips to his once more. His thumb brushed over my breast and my nipples tightened even though we had layers of clothes between us. He gently squeezed my breasts and I moaned into his mouth. I could feel a bulge in his jeans and I smirked that I had that kind of effect on him. He ground his erection against my body and he moaned at the friction between us. His hands slipped under my shirt and did the same kind of caress I gave his body. It tickled my stomach and I giggled slightly as I continued to kiss him. He then moved down to my jeans where he popped open the button and pulled the zipper down. A little red flag went off in my head for two reasons. One - this was the first time anyone would be touching me like this (except for myself). Two - I wasn't sure if I was ready for this. I froze up and Ian could sense something was wrong because he broke the kiss.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" He asked, his voice full of concern.

"Yeah...uhm I just...I got a little nervous." I answered lamely. "I don't want to rush things between us..." I trailed off.

"No, that's fine. I totally understand. We can slow things down." He said understandingly.

"I'm sorry if I got carried away. I like kissing you and being with you." I blushed and Ian kissed me gently. I kissed him back and was suddenly aware of his cock twitching in his pants. I pulled back and bit my lip and Ian looked down at his growing erection.

"Well, now you see what you do to me so, I'm gonna go...take care of this." He said with a little laugh. He took his shirt, holding it over his crotch and limped to the bathroom. Now I felt a little guilty because I didn't want to leave Ian with a pair of blue balls, but I felt my wet panties against my thighs and realized that we both left each other high and dry, not intentionally of course, but I wanted to take things slow. I was happy that Ian agreed. Needing to take my mind off this, I gripped the remote with shaky hands and turned on the TV. I thumbed through the channels until one caught my attention.

"Hello everyone! Welcome back, I'm Jocelyn Davis with a couple alert! It has been rumored that TV vamps Ian Somerhalder and Kate Walker had some kind of off camera relationship but nothing was set in stone about the relationship. The two denied these rumors but this photo of the two says otherwise."

A picture of Ian and I kissing was flashed up on the screen and I nearly wanted to die of embarrassment. It was taken the day he first kissed me. How could someone have gotten a picture of this? There was no one around! I swore it!

"An anonymous source snapped this pic of the pair. The couple is engaged in a steamy kiss on set for their show The Vampire Diaries. The source tells us that they are "very cozy with each other around set". Neither of them have commented on the photo, but we'll be sure to keep you all posted as this story unfolds."

"Oh my God…" I murmured and shut the TV off. I couldn't believe that photos were circulating of Ian and me. My friends would see this! Hell, my own mother would be seeing this! Oh hey, mom! Who could have done this and more importantly, why would someone do that? Ian emerged from the bathroom to see the stunned look on my face and I told him about the photo. Needless to say he was as upset about it as I was. "I – I have to go." I said and gripped my belongings to leave, but Ian stopped me.

"No, don't leave upset. I'll drive you home, alright?" He said but I shook my head.

"I just want to be alone for a little while, okay?" He nodded slowly, his expression pained, and let me leave. I hurried down the steps and to the street and to my car. I sped off, quickly reaching my hotel and I darted upstairs seeing some paparazzi come my way.

"Kate! Kate! What do you have to say about that photo?"

"Do you know who took it?"

"Are you and Ian a couple now?"

"What do you expect for the next upcoming episodes?"

They yelled their questions but I ignored them. I closed and locked the door to my room and just leaned against it. I ran my hands through my hair in an effort to calm down but it was useless. I just couldn't get Ian's face out of my mind. He looked so upset and I know he didn't want to hurt me but I was hurt. It wasn't his fault and I knew that but I was angry that someone would expose our relationship. My phone buzzed with a million texts but I didn't have the energy to answer them all. I threw my bag and phone on the floor and kicked off my shoes. I changed for bed and lay there, motionless. I could still hear my phone buzzing but I didn't want to hear from anyone. I just wanted to be alone and tonight I was. This kind of humiliation made me want to pack my shit and leave, but I knew I couldn't. I had to stay and face my fears, after all that is what my mom taught me. I missed my mom. She'd know exactly what to do in a situation like this. I wished I was home with my family. I wished I was a normal girl and didn't have to deal with the paparazzi constantly following me. Sure, sometimes it was glamorous but other times it was an inconvenience. I was embarrassed, humiliated and I felt violated that someone would do this just for money. For the first time in a long time, I cried myself to sleep.

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><p><strong>Poor Kate! Who took that photo? How will Ian and Kate's relationship change now that they are in the spotlight?<strong>

**Please Review!**


	10. Mending Things

**Thanks so much for all of the lovely reviews everyone! Almost 100! This one is kind of a filler chapter but I'm planning on some other things for the next couple of chapters. **_  
><em>

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88 (love love love her!)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

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><p><em>Kate, please call me. I need to talk to you. – Ian<em>

_Hey I saw the pic! Please call me! – Nina_

_I'm so sorry this happened. – Ian_

_I didn't want you to get hurt, just please call me. – Ian_

_Hey, it's Kat. Is everything alright? – Katerina_

_You're scaring me! Why aren't you answering your phone? – Candice_

_Sweetheart, please call me. I saw that picture of you and Ian. – Mom_

I stared at the endless amounts of texts on my phone and just sighed. I knew that people were concerned for me, but I just didn't want to bother with anyone. I scrolled through the texts, ignoring them before checking my voicemail.

_Hey Kate, it's me._

It was Ian's voice. He sounded so…so hurt.

_I just wanted to make sure you're alright. I didn't have anything to do with that picture. I don't know who took it or sent it in. I just…I just want to make things right, Kate. I don't want to give you up because of something stupid like this. Please call me back so we can talk about this. I know you're probably hurt, but I…need to talk to you._

I was practically tearing up by the end of the message. Poor Ian. I felt bad about this whole thing. I hesitantly dialed his number back and listened to it ring. I wanted him to answer but at the same time I wanted to reach his voicemail. Ring after ring I was finally met with the sound of his voice recorded message. The beep sounded and I took a deep breath.

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><p><strong>Ian's POV<strong>

I sat in my bed just staring at the ceiling. All I could think about was Kate. Things were going great between us until that picture. The look of pure humiliation on her face before she ran out of the apartment was like a kick to the stomach. I felt bad that this would be her first big time in the spotlight and she had to be embarrassed because of someone's greed. I called and texted her multiple times throughout the night and early morning but she hadn't answered any of them. I respected the fact that she was upset but I needed to speak with her. My phone rang from beside me in bed and I looked at the caller ID. Kate's face popped up on the screen, her gorgeous smile making my stomach do somersaults. My finger hovered over the 'answer' button but I just couldn't. I tossed the phone back on the bed and ran a hand through my hair. The phone stopped ringing and shortly after it beeped letting me know I had a voicemail.

_Hi Ian. It's me, Kate, but you probably already knew that…uhm. I'm sorry I haven't called you back sooner, but I'm just…I was scared._

I heard her sniffle and my heart broke.

_Sorry… I uhm, want to talk to you about this it's just that I have a photo shoot today with the girls. So, text me or call me, whichever you want and I'll get back to you. Bye._

I let out a breath of relief. She wanted to talk to me. Thank God! I quickly shot her a text message and got ready to run some errands for the day.

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><p><strong>Kate's POV<strong>

My phone buzzed from my dresser with a text and I read it over quickly.

_Sorry I missed you, but I want to see you. Call me when your shoot is over. I'll talk to you later._

I smiled widely that Ian wasn't angry with me. Perhaps we could really work this out. With some pep in my step I headed over to the shower to get ready for this photo shoot.

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><p>Arriving at the studio, I was surprised to see that it wasn't too far from the studio where we shoot. Thank God there were no paparazzi around. I had just about had it with those guys! That picture still irked the hell out of me. It couldn't have been someone from the outside since everyone who is in the studio is authorized to be there so it had to be someone on the inside. I was just hoping it wasn't one of my new friends.<p>

The idea of the photo shoot was titled, "The Women of The Vampire Diaries". Each of us was posed on set so we would all be shot in the same frame. The set was all sorts of colors. It looked super fun and whimsical and girly. We all got into hair and makeup and then wardrobe. I nearly squealed seeing all of the clothes, shoes and accessories. Now this was a walk in closet! I was dressed in a short pink flouncy dress. The top was all sequined with then tapered down to the poofy skirt. It was adorable! My hair was in curls and my make up was very natural with a little tint of pink in it. I was starting to feel better already! Nina came out in a short purple dress, Katerina had a tangerine orange one-shoulder dress and Candice had a short, straight, blue dress. Neither of us had shoes which was strange to us at first but the set was all ready when we got out.

"Okay, ladies! Basically the idea of the shoot is a pillow fight." The organizer of the shoot said. He tossed each of us a pillow, "So just make it really fun and you can be sexy also. Afterwards, each of you will have a little interview done as well." He said and we all couldn't wait to get started. We climbed onto a larger than life bed that had even more pillows and there were bunches of loose feathers on it. "Alright, I need Candice and Nina to be kneeling while Katerina and Kate stand." We got into positions and then the photographer set up her camera and stand.

"Hello, everyone!" She greeted cheerfully and we all smiled. "Act like I'm not even here and just have fun. Then after this, each of you will be one on one with me for some individual shots." She said.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" I smirked and drew my pillow back and lightly hit Katerina which caused her to smirk back at me before smacking me with her pillow and we all started to jump on the bed. The loose feathers floated in the air as we continued to hit each other. Some of us would kneel and some would stand. Candice ripped a little hole in her pillow and hit me with it, the feathers spewing ever. We were all having so much fun that we didn't want it to end. The group part of the shoot finished and we all went back into hair and make up for touch ups before doing our individual shoots.

I did feel better throughout the day, but I just couldn't stop thinking about Ian. I really needed to talk to him and I hoped I could smooth things over. While Nina, Candice and Katerina were getting their individual shoots done, I sat with the interviewer.

"Hey Kate, my name's Anne Marie from PopSugar. Thanks so much for sitting down with us." I shook her hand and sat opposite her.

"Hi Anne Marie! The pleasure is all mine. What are we talking about today?" I said cheerfully.

"So Kate, the previews for 'The Dinner Party' episode look extremely riveting. Fans are buzzing about the promo and they can't seem to get enough of it. Is there anything you can spoil for us?" She asked.

"Well, I can't spoil too much or they'll send a hit man after me." I joked lightly. "But I can say that some things will happen in this episode that will shock fans. I mean, it shocked me when I was reading the script for it." I laughed. Yeah, like doing a love scene with the hottest man in the business. No big deal. "My lips are sealed." I smiled innocently. The person who took that photograph obviously didn't think so. I really wished I could put my mind on silent because it was killing me.

"Alright, what can you tell us about the Elijah and Cassandra relationship? Do you think any romance will blossom between them?"

"Ooh, that's a tough one. Uhm, I think that Cassandra has always looked up to Elijah as a father figure since he was the only one that was around when she was turned. I don't really know what Elijah thinks. He's a very complex and deep character. He's not the kind of vampire you'd wanna mess with because he will rip your heart out in a second. Maybe he might like her in some way but I'm really not sure." I replied.

"But he did compel your character to kiss him, which, might I say was pretty steamy." Anne Marie smirked.

"That's true." I said. That day was awkward enough for me. Daniel Gillies was older than I was but he is still very handsome. Even more so without the Elijah wig. "But I think that was more of a display of power, since Original's can compel other vampires."

"Nice one." The interviewer joked and I gave a cheeky smile back. "How can you explain this entire experience of being on the show?" She asked.

"It's completely surreal. A couple months ago I was just a regular college student and now I'm living the dream. I know that celebrities say this all the time, but I wouldn't give this up for anything in the world. I hope they plan on keeping me on the show." Seriously, it was bad enough that I thought they were gonna kill me off for 'The Dinner Party' episode – especially after Elijah stabbed me.

"And lastly, what do you think will happen when Klaus comes into town?"

"I think that Mystic Falls will be completely turned on its head and people won't know what to expect when he rolls into town." I replied. Joseph had already done some scenes so technically I knew some things that would happen but I couldn't exactly tell Anne Marie that. I had to keep some secrets for the fans.

"Alright, great. Thanks so much again, Kate." She shook my hand and I thanked her again. I looked at my final print and was more than happy with the result. I was lying on my stomach on the bed with my legs elevated, ankles crossed and feet pointed to make a really nice arch. My arms were crossed, my chin resting on my closed fists and I was looking dreamily up at some loose feathers that were floating through the air. I absolutely loved it and made sure that I'd pick up the magazine when it was out. I looked like a vision – a beautiful vision.

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><p>"So you have no idea who did it?" Katerina asked when all of us were in a private lounge while we waited for the rest of the final prints.<p>

"No, and I wish I knew who did." I said and suddenly leapt off the couch I was sitting on and checked every nook and cranny of the room.

"Uhm, what are you doing?" Nina asked.

"Checking for hidden cameras." I answered as if it was the most obvious answer.

"You're really paranoid aren't you?" Candice said.

"You have no idea." I grumbled and sat down after seeing that the room was clear. "I just don't know what to do about it. I've had people practically ringing my phone every hour, on the hour and I don't know how to make it stop."

"Well, have you spoken to Ian about it?" Katerina asked.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I have to text him when I'm out of here." I said and immediately gathered my things to leave.

"So, what are you going to do?" Nina's question left me speechless. I really didn't know what I wanted to do. Did I want to continue things with Ian? Or did I want to stop it?

I took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "I really don't know, but I'm gonna play it by ear." I replied and the girls smiled back at me. "Wish me luck." I walked to the back door of the studio since I parked my car there. I didn't want to come across any photogs so I looked out the glass door, making sure no one was there before pushing the door open. I pulled my sunglasses over my face and tried to get through the enormous amounts of texts that I left unanswered. Unfortunately, I wasn't looking where I was going and found myself running into a hard chest.

"Fancy meeting you here." A voice smirked from above me and I immediately looked up and started apologizing for my clumsiness, but stopped short when I saw who it was.

"Hey! Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I couldn't wait to see you." Ian replied. He, like myself, had dark sunglasses covering his eyes. He wore a white button down shirt with a pair of dark wash jeans. All in all – he looked hot. "Plus, some friends told me where you'd be." He said and I wrinkled my nose but followed his gaze over my shoulder. I turned around to see Nina, Katerina and Candice all pressed up against the glass door, trying to hear what was going on. I laughed out loud and the girls all gave me smiles and two thumbs up.

"Yeah," I drawled anxiously, "You wanna grab a drink and talk about it?" I asked.

"Sure. I'll drive." He replied and we walked to his car, but not without hearing the girls banging on the door. They were giving me words of wisdom but I couldn't hear them through the glass. I just giggled and waved back at them.

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><p>"So, how was the shoot?"<p>

"It went well. It was a lot of fun."

Silence.

God I hated this. I didn't want things to be awkward between us, but the awkward silence was practically strangling us. I took a sip from my drink, trying to ease the awkwardness but it just didn't help. Right now this entire conversation was going nowhere. I tapped my foot nervously against the tile floor of the outdoor café we were in. I looked around through my dark sunglasses at some people who were eyeing us. They weren't pointing and whispering but they had some kind of idea of who we were. Even the waitress kept giving us glances. I guess this was the bad part about fame. I glanced at the time on my cell phone and came to the realization that five minutes of silence had passed. Damn, this was painful. Maybe I should ease into talking about the picture? That sounded like a good idea.

"I was scared." I suddenly blurted. Or I'll just cut right into it. Way to go, Kate.

"What?" Ian looked up from his drink.

"That's why I left that night." I clarified. "I didn't know what to think."

"Me neither." He agreed. "I'm going to be honest with you. I have no idea who took that picture." I believed him.

"I don't know either. I wish I knew, but I don't think we'll ever know." I replied. I went to take a sip of coffee but then let out a little laugh. "I had to explain it to my mom." That was incredibly awkward and difficult to do, but it had to be done. At first she was upset because she thought that it was done as a publicity stunt, but I explained that it was a huge misunderstanding. My mom, of course, understood about it and after crying on the phone to her for a couple of hours I felt better.

"Me too. I mean, I try to keep my life quiet especially living in this kind of lifestyle but that's not always a guarantee." Ian said.

"That's what I wanted. I didn't want people to know every aspect of my life. I just want to do my job and live my life." I answered. "So…what happens with us?" I asked hesitantly as I drummed my fingers around my cup of coffee.

"What do you mean?" He raised a questioning eyebrow at me.

"Well…are we still together?" I was crossing my fingers that Ian still liked me. I just hoped this photo didn't ruin it. "I still want to!" I blurted out. I've really gotta stop doing that. "Uhm, I mean, I still want to be with you because I really like you. And I just hope you feel the same way." I spoke quickly and was almost tongue tied. Ian just chuckled at me.

"Of course. I'm not gonna let this incident come between us." He said and reached across the table to hold my hands in his. "I really like you, Kate." My cheeks flushed up and the heat ran through my body. I smiled widely like an idiot, fully enjoying this moment when the waitress interrupted us.

"Anything else I can get for you?" She asked and Ian and I looked up at her. I rolled my eyes underneath my sunglasses while Ian reached in his wallet and paid for us. He gave her a tip also and we lazily strolled down the street. I was more than thankful that our conversation had gone back to normal and wanted to kick myself for getting nervous about this whole situation.

"When you didn't answer my texts, I thought you hated me." Ian said honestly.

"No, I just needed some time to think, ya know?"

"I completely understand." He nodded curtly.

"Candice's birthday is tomorrow." I said as we passed a little boutique and was reminded that I needed to find an outfit for that.

"You going?" Ian asked me.

"Yes sir. I can't wait." I said excitedly. "Would you like to be my date?" I asked cheekily.

"It would be my pleasure." Ian smiled and laced his fingers with mine. He brought my hand up to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. I squeezed his hand as we continued to walk down the street. Ian drove me back to the studio to pick up my car and he walked me to it like a perfect gentleman. I leaned against my car as we talked for a little while longer. Ian was ready to leave but before he did, he bent down and gave me a sweet kiss.

Relationship mended. Check.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed this one! Next chapter will be Candice's birthday party and I've already got some ideas for that one<strong>

**Please review!**


	11. Candice's Birthday

**Another chapter for you :) I added some steaminess so, how much do you love me? Let me know by leaving a review ;)**

**Thanks so much for all of the love and support for my stories. I truly wouldn't be continuing without my lovely readers xoxo**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88 - Check out her Damon/OC**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

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><p>I spent the entire following day getting ready for Candice's party. Nina, Katerina and I took Candice out for manipedi's and we also got our hair and makeup done. It was nice having just a girl's day with no paparazzi around. However, I figured they'd find out it was Candice's birthday sooner or later. I got back to my hotel room and started picking out some possible outfits with accessories. I was a woman possessed. I had to look absolutely perfect since this would be Ian's and my first public debut as a couple. I don't think guys ever understand female dilemmas. For example I bought a pair of raspberry colored pumps that I really wanted to wear but I could only wear them with an all black outfit, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to wear black. And I also could not look better than the guest of honor but I didn't want to look frumpy. And you also have to take into consideration what other people are wearing. Are they wearing long or short? Black or color and if so, what color? Beaded or plain? One sleeve, halter or strapless?

Sigh.

Back to square one.

I damn near tore my closet apart looking for some possibilities. Dress after dress after dress until I found the perfect one. It was a short red dress with a sweetheart neckline and silver beading lined the neckline, the straps and the small V in the back. Simple with a little touch of glitz, but very elegant. I dug around for a pair of silver sandals and a little red bag and I was all set to go. I sent Nina and Katerina a picture of my overall look, hoping it wasn't too much. I was self conscious about wearing red since it was a very strong and bold color. You have to know how to work it. My phone buzzed with two texts.

_Perfect! You look amazing! See you soon :)_ – Katerina

_OH MY GOD! GORGEOUS! Ian won't be able to keep his hands off you ;)_ – Nina

Getting the green light, I touched up my hair and makeup before Ian came to pick me up. He'd gotten us a limo for the occasion in case either of us wanted to drink tonight. Smart man. I pick them well. I was excited to see everyone all dolled up. A soft knock at my door made my heart flutter in my chest and I looked over myself one last time. My curls cascaded down and over my shoulders while my makeup was pretty much neutral because I didn't want it to clash with the dress. I took a deep breath, grabbing my purse off the night stand and opened the door.

Sometimes I really questioned how the hell I had managed to rope a guy like Ian. Seriously that question would keep me awake at night! He looked…wow! Black slacks, a white button down shirt and a black suit jacket over it. Lord have mercy! Is it hot in here? I smiled sweetly, hoping it would conceal my blush and Ian winked at me.

"Wow! Lady in Red." Ian smiled. "You look absolutely incredible." He said as his ice blue eyes ran up and down my body. I wanted to shiver – hell, I did shiver.

"Thank you, Mr. Somerhalder. You look very handsome yourself." I said cheekily. He really did look fucking sexy! I wanted to roll him up and smoke him and I don't even smoke! I just wanted to eat him up. He led me downstairs and into the sleek black limo. The ride to the club was too short for my liking. Ian's warm hand was resting on my thigh the entire time. We pulled up to the club and we could see the flashes from the paparazzi through the tinted windows. Ian opened the door and got out before turning and helping me out of the car. The snapping of the cameras picked up as we stepped up onto the pavement. Ian smirked at me and I smiled. His fingers laced with mine as we brushed passed the paparazzi.

The inside of the club was lavish with colored lights illuminating the walls. The music was booming and drinks were being poured. Ian and I found Candice and we gave her our gifts. I had decided on getting her a Tiffany bracelet with my new paycheck. I hugged her tightly and was quickly tackled by Nina and Katerina. The rest of the boys were there as well and they all looked handsome. The DJ called for everyone to get on the dance floor and start dancing. I pulled the girls with me and we danced in our little circle. I could feel Ian's eyes on me the entire time as I was dancing. I looked over my shoulder and smiled at him while he was talking with Paul and Matt. He gave me a smoldering smirk which made my knees weak. I even grabbed Paul, Ian and Joseph to dance with us.

Now I'm normally not a drinker, but all of us started taking birthday shots with Candice and sooner or later I lost count. The alcohol burned my throat but I quickly chased it with something else to minimize the fire. I kinda just wanted to let go tonight since the show had been stressful. It was a good kind of stress but I needed a break from it. I was feeling pretty loose as I went back to the dance floor. The bass was so loud it was making my body vibrate. I felt a pair of hands find my waist and I looked over my shoulder to see Ian's face close to mine. He rested his head on my shoulder and pulled me closer to him as we continued to dance. I could hear Ian whisper in my ear about how sexy I looked and I felt my stomach flip. No one ever told me I was sexy before. I never thought of myself as a sexy girl. I was simply Kate. The beat picked up and we grinded against each other faster. I swiveled my hips in a seductive pattern and heard Ian moan in my ear. My hands covered his as they caressed up and down my sides. Ian's teeth nibbled at my ear lobe and my head fell back onto his shoulder. I wanted him and I wanted him now. I angled my head to meet his lips and kissed him with all that I had. Ian kissed me back and I could taste the liquor on his tongue as it stroked mine. I shifted my body to face him so I could kiss him easier and I ran my fingers through his hair. Ian suddenly pulled away from me and rested his forehead against mine. I was practically panting as his hands cradled me closer to him.

"You wanna get out of here?" He asked me and I nodded, taking his hand as we went to bid Candice goodnight and happy birthday before we left. We said our goodbyes to everyone and quickly left the club, dodging the paparazzi in the process.

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><p>I tugged on the collar of Ian's shirt, bringing his lips down to mine as soon as the door closed behind us. From what I could make out, we were in Ian's apartment. I couldn't exactly remember how we got here since the alcohol was taking a toll on my memory. I remembered bits and pieces of the limo ride. I was straddling Ian's right leg as I pushed him into the back of the seat. I could still feel where his hands caressed the back of my thighs where my dress rode up. Our tongues were wildly snaking in and out of each other's mouths. My back slamming into the door brought me back to reality as Ian's lips were still on mine. I yanked his suit jacket off before working at the buttons of his white shirt. My heart swelled in my chest when my fingers trailed over his warm skin and rippled muscles. The soft fabric slid off his strong shoulders and my hands were trying to cover every piece of exposed skin I could. Ian propped his hand underneath my thigh, prompting me to lift it up around his waist. I got his hint and he picked me up, both my legs wrapped around his waist and his hands landed on my backside. I clung to him as our kisses escalated. I suddenly felt my back coming into contact with something soft and I came to the conclusion that we were now in his bedroom.<p>

I, Kate Walker, was in Ian Somerhalder's bedroom, on his bed.

Ian spread my legs apart so he could lean in the space between them. His arousal was pressing up against my stomach and normally I would have worried about it but I guess the alcohol in my system was making me bold. I arched my hips slightly, rubbing against his hardening cock and he moaned into my mouth. The little noises he was making were getting me even more turned on. I knew my panties were soaking wet and I had started to ache so I was craving some much needed friction. Ian's hands curled around my back and he was working the zipper down eagerly. I let him and in turn I reached down to tug his slacks down. They pooled at his ankles and Ian carefully yanked my dress down my torso and my lean legs. Thank God, because if he ripped that dress I think I'd smack him. My body shivered a little since I was just in a lacy bra and panties but I was enjoying Ian's body heat warming me. His lips detached from mine to travel down my neck. He bit my skin before moving closer to my bra. He slipped the straps down my shoulders and his fingers trailed over the skin on my collarbone. I giggled at the sensation, the alcohol still coursing through my veins. He peeled the cups of my bra to rest right under my breasts and Ian didn't waste any time. He gently breathed over the skin, his hot breath leaving goose bumps in its wake. I felt his tongue tracing around my nipple and I cried out. It felt too good for words. Ian's lips closed around the hard point and lightly suckled. I thrust my hands in his hair, keeping him there and arched my back.

"Ian…" I moaned, my fingernails dragging across his scalp and he hissed. I suddenly arched higher as Ian bit my pebbled peak. "Mmm, yes!" I bit my bottom lip roughly. I wanted to tease him the way that he was teasing me so I let my hands walk their way down his body till I reached his deliciously tight boxer-briefs. I smirked to myself; I knew he wasn't a boxer's guy. Being a girl, you think about these things. I cupped his cock which was straining against the material and Ian bucked his hips into my hand. I let my fingers play over the growing bulge, lightly tickling as I pulled his lips back up to mine. I just couldn't get enough of his lips and his kisses. Ian's tongue played with mine as I was now rubbing him a little harder.

"Fuck, Kate!" He groaned against my lips. His hands went around my back and he was fumbling with the clip of my bra as his lips were still attached to mine. I laughed as I could tell he was getting frustrated when suddenly he stopped. Ian propped himself on his hands and held himself above me. I looked up at him with lust filled eyes.

"Why did you stop?" I asked, panting as I ran my hands up and down his sculpted chest.

"You're drunk." Ian stated and I shook my head.

"No…no I'm not drank…drink…no drunk! Drunk! I am not drunk." I slurred and poked his chest. "C'mon Ian, I wanna play with you." I giggled seductively and tried to wrap my arms around his neck but he caught my wrists.

"I can't do this." He breathed and climbed off of me. I laid there on his bed, partially stunned and partially drunk, but mostly drunk.

"Why?" I asked as I got up and followed him. I pulled the straps of my bra over my shoulders and packed my breasts back in the cups. "Don't you wanna play with me?" I pranced around his room as I watched him dress.

"Kate, I won't do it while you're drunk." Ian said while buttoning his shirt.

"Oh, come on. I'm not that drunk! Besides, you're drunker than I am." I stammered and suddenly felt a pain in my head. "Ow, my head hurts."

"Yeah, but I have a little more tolerance." Ian explained but his words were dancing around in my brain. "How much did you drink?" He asked me and I indicated an amount with my thumb and pointer finger. Ian shook his head and chuckled. "That much, huh?" I drunkenly nodded but then the room started to spin.

"Ian, make the room stop doing that!" I whined and he helped me to sit on his bed.

"Alright, easy. What's wrong? Your head hurts?" He was speaking softly but it felt like he was yelling. I hummed quietly, not wanting to nod my head and add to the dizziness. "Okay, just sit tight. I'll be right back." My perception of time had been so off that I didn't even realize him leave and then come back. Ian returned with some pretzels and a tall glass of water. "You have to eat a little bit." I took some pretzels in my hand and broke them in small pieces before popping some in my mouth. In all honesty the chewing noise made my head feel like a guy was jack hammering on it. Once I was done chewing and swallowing, Ian guided the glass to my lips and I drank hungrily. He pulled the glass back after a couple of sips and I pouted.

"I'm thirsty." I laughed as I wiped some droplets of water from my lips with the back of my hand.

"I know that, but you can't drink it too fast. I don't want you to hurl on me." He explained and handed me some more pretzels. I ate them slowly and took a couple more sips and I quickly felt myself sober up. I yawned and shivered since I was still in my lingerie and Ian draped a blanket over my shoulders. I hummed and snuggled into it.

"Can I go home now?" I asked meekly and Ian stole a look at his watch. It was well after three in the morning.

"It's late. You're sure you don't wanna crash here?" He asked.

"No, I don't wanna bother you. I'll go home." I mumbled into the blanket.

"Okay, lemme get dressed and I'll take you home." Ian said and grabbed his clothes off the floor and made his way to his bathroom, leaving Kate some privacy to get dressed.

Ian finished the final button on his shirt as he eyed himself in the mirror. He was tired and his eyes were practically falling shut. He couldn't drive like this. Maybe it would be better off for Kate to sleep here, but she did say that she wanted to go home. He splashed some cold water on his face to wake himself up and it worked temporarily. Part of him was upset with himself that he let things go so far with Kate. He liked her; maybe even loved her and he almost took advantage of her. He didn't want to take advantage of her when she was inebriated. Kate was like a little sex goddess with him tonight. Ian shook his head as he eyed his prominent boner in his pants. He'd have to take care of that later.

He unlocked the door to the bathroom and trudged back to his room to see Kate fast asleep on his bed. She was curled up inside the big blanket he'd given her. Ian smiled, she looked so peaceful. He gently moved her off the covers to pull them back and placed her underneath them. He propped her head on the plush pillow and Kate wrapped her arms around the pillow, squeezing it like it was a huge stuffed animal. She sighed in her sleep and Ian let his fingertips stroke through her hair. He tucked a curl behind her ear and gave her temple a little kiss before turning off the lamp in his room and grabbed a spare pillow and some blankets. He made himself a bed on the futon in the living room since he wanted to respect Kate's wishes. She didn't want things to move too fast and he would respect that.

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><p>I am never drinking that much again! My head was pounding to say the least and the room wasn't spinning but I felt nauseous. I looked around the room from behind the blankets that were covering me and my heart sped up, realizing that I had no idea where I was and I was in my bra and underwear. Fuck, did I really just shack up with some complete stranger?<p>

Alright, Kate. Just remain calm.

Calm? How could I remain calm? I was in my underwear and on top of that I had no idea where I was. I buried myself under the covers, blocking out the sunlight as I tried to remember last night. It was Candice's birthday party and I was taking shots with the girls. I remembered dancing with Ian and then we left. I kissed him and then we left. So maybe Ian took me back to his place? Oh, wait a minute! Did we…? Did I…sleep with him? Please don't tell me I lost my virginity to my boyfriend when I was as drunk as a skunk! But Ian was drunk too. If both people are drunk then it's okay, right? Isn't that a rule? No! No, no, no it's not okay! I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself before climbing out of bed. I hugged the spare blanket tighter around me as I padded my way across Ian's bedroom floor. His room was cozy and intimate, much like his apartment and I felt at ease being there, however I needed to see what really happened last night. I saw my dress and shoes on the floor.

"Well, that's always a good sign." I muttered sarcastically and hugged the blanket tighter to me. I wandered to the living room where I saw Ian sleeping on the futon. God, he looked so adorable. His jet black hair was in disarray and the sheets were tangled around his body. He was dressed in the clothes from last night and he wasn't sleeping in the same bed so we couldn't have done anything, right? My stomach growled loudly and I smacked my hand over it, as if that would quiet it. "Shh!" I shushed it and I froze as I saw Ian turn over in his sleep. Thankfully he didn't wake up so I let out a breath of relief. I heard my stomach growl again so I decided I might as well make breakfast for the two of us.

I had my reasons why I hated being in an unfamiliar place because I could never find where anything was! It took a while but I managed to find the pancake batter and some other things to make breakfast. I had made us some coffee as well even though I rarely drank it but today I needed it. I heard Ian wake up; hopefully it was because breakfast smelled good. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and ran a hand through his hair as he walked into the kitchen.

"Morning." I greeted and hugged the blanket tighter around me. "Hope you're hungry."

"Starving." Ian groaned and sat down at the island. I placed a plate of chocolate chip pancakes in front of him before I took my own plate and sat down across from him. "What's this all about?"

"For me being a drunken mess." I replied. "Also, I don't exactly remember what happened. I mean…did we…?" I gestured between myself and Ian and thankfully he got my drift.

"No! No, we didn't. We were pretty close though." He said.

"Oh God…" I laid my head against the marble island. "How bad?"

"You kept saying that you wanted to play with me." Ian smirked and I blushed. Good lord, this is embarrassing.

"Wonderful." I deadpanned and stabbed my pancakes before shoving a big piece in my mouth.

"Honestly, it was kinda sexy." Ian wiggled his eyebrows at me. "But I didn't want it to happen when we were drunk. I want you first time, our first time, to be special." He said and I felt my heart melt. Ian was just too sweet. If it were any other guy they totally would have popped my cherry. Ah! Censor thoughts please, Kate!

"Thank you. Really, for everything." I said graciously.

"I wouldn't mind taking care of you again. You were a tolerable drunk."

"Well, thanks. I take pride in my drunkenness." I laughed. We finished breakfast and I felt my hangover going away. I got dressed in my dress again before Ian took me home. It was certainly a crazy birthday weekend but I had fun. I was able to let go and just have fun with my friends. I had to gear up for next week since we were doing a lot of intense episodes and I had my first debut on a late night show.

Oh, I loved my life!

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><p><strong>So, what scenes would you like to see reenacted with your favorite actors? The epic dance studio battle between Cassandra and Klaus? Flashbacks with Klaus and Cassandra? Cassandra turning for the first time? Let me knoww!<strong>

**Also, what late night show would you like to see Kate on? Lopez Tonight, Jimmy Fallon? I would also like to have Kate on Ellen bc I LOVE her!**

**Let me know what you think by leaving a review :)**


	12. There's No Turning Back Now

**Moving right along with this story! Hope you all enjoy it! Thank you so much for all of the kind words and reviews :) For those of you who liked the smutiness of the last chapter - don't worry I will have Ian and Kate get a little closer in a few chapters. From what I've written so far - it's hot ;)**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story**

**Please Review :-D**

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><p>"Have the two of you done any kind of formal dancing at all?" Mark asked.<p>

"I've taken ballet and I've danced a waltz with Ian." I shrugged and Joseph shook his head. Good, at least we were both clueless together. I couldn't believe that I was in the same room as Lacey Schwimmer and Mark Ballas from Dancing with the Stars. Julie had called them in to teach Joseph and me a waltz. I had to contain myself from squealing like a little girl.

"Okay, then we'll show you guys a Viennese Waltz." Lacey explained and both Joseph and I just nodded. Mark and Lacey cued the music and partnered up. They moved so effortlessly across the floor and it looked so beautiful. It didn't look too hard but I wanted to keep an open mind about it. Mark twirled Lacey around as if she was weightless in his hold. The looks in their eyes were the most powerful to me. They weren't concentrated on the madness of the people on set around them. It was just the two of them in that very room and nothing else. I wished deep down that I would be doing this dance with Ian, but I guess I'd just have to pretend. Mark and Lacey finished with a dip, their eyes locked on each other's and everyone in the room applauded. The two of them didn't even break a sweat. "Let's get started." Lacey said with a smile. Joseph went with Lacey while I worked with Mark. It wasn't a complicated dance but I wanted it to look perfect. One thing I knew for certain, I wouldn't turn down a spot on Dancing with the Stars if they asked me. I've always loved to dance and I wanted to learn all sorts of couple's dances. After we finished, we collaborated together so Joseph and I could work together.

"Now, the Viennese Waltz is a very graceful dance and it's really beautiful to watch. In order to get deep down to it, you have to forget everything around you." Mark explained. "You see all this?" He asked and gestured to the cameras, crew members and other things around set and Joseph and I nodded. "It doesn't matter. It all goes away and the only thing that you need to be focused on his you and your partner. You guys ready?" I pulled my hair off my neck into a pony tail before putting my hand on Joseph's shoulder. His hand held mine while his other arm held my waist.

"You two gotta get closer." Lacey said and pushed us together. My chest was pressing against his and his hand winded tighter around my waist. I blushed because Joseph was handsome and he was my co-star. He was surprisingly very suave and smooth as we danced.

"You said you've never danced before." I quipped as we practiced later on. Lacey and Mark had left and the two of us had some time to practice on our own since we'd shoot this scene a little later on in the day.

"No, I never said that." Joseph smirked and he twirled me.

"Alright, Mr. Suave, show me what you got." I laughed as we pick up the pace of our dance. We skimmed over the wooden floor and my hair whipped around when Joseph spun me around. Somewhere along the way one of us lost our footing and I fell, pulling Joseph down with me. We were laughing hysterically as he hovered over me. I thought Joseph was a handsome guy, but I was in a relationship with Ian so Joseph was just a friend.

"Excuse me!" A shrill feminine voice called as we both looked towards the door. "Oh my, sorry if I was interrupting something." A tall blonde girl made her way into the studio and Joseph kindly helped me up off the floor.

"Can we help you?" Joseph asked politely.

"I was just looking for Ian." The woman replied as she looked around the room. "He told me to meet him here." She mused.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" I asked as nicely as I could but I didn't know this woman at all and she was kind of making herself at home.

"I'm Elizabeth, Ian's friend." She replied as if I was supposed to know who she was by her name. We all heard some chattering coming from around the bend and all of us looked to see Nina, Ian and Paul walking in. Elizabeth smiled seeing Ian and ran over to him, throwing her arms around him. Nina and Paul looked at each other before rolling their eyes. They didn't look too happy to see this woman.

"Elizabeth! You didn't tell me you were coming!" He said as he hugged her back.

"Well, I had a change of plans so I decided to show up." She gushed and pulled back before saying hello to Nina and Paul. Nina gave a smile and a little wave while Paul just gave her a curt nod. Hmm, I'd have to ask them about that later. "You look great! It's been a while." She purred and ran her hand up his bicep. If I didn't wanna strangle this chick before, I wanted to know. Ian quickly removed her hand and she gave a little scowl. He looked over to me and his eyes gave me a little reassurance. He walked over to me and took my hand, giving it a kiss. Elizabeth's scowl turned into a complete frown and I wanted to laugh in her face, I mean Nina and Paul were practically stifling their laughter.

"Hey, I haven't seen you all day." Ian said.

"We've been working hard, right Joseph?" I said.

"Absolutely, except for the fact that you keep stepping on my feet." Joseph bellyached but threw me a wink. I playfully shoved him and Ian chuckled.

"Ian, who is this?" Elizabeth finally chimed in.

"Kate, I'd like you to meet Elizabeth. She's an old friend of mine from when I used to model." He greeted and I held out my hand. I didn't really like this girl too much but if she was Ian's friend I didn't want to be a complete bitch to her.

"Nice to meet you." I said with a smile and Elizabeth eyed my hand before shaking it.

"Elizabeth, this is Kate. She's my girlfriend." Ian said and I though Elizabeth's eyes were gonna pop out of her head. "I missed you all day." He said turning to me and gave my lips a little chaste kiss.

"Girlfriend? You didn't tell me you had one. She's so…little." Elizabeth joked and I wanted to punch her lights out. Not everyone can be a tall, blonde, leggy model. The group of us gave an uncomfortable laugh before dying down into silence again and her eyes flicked up to Joseph now. "And who is this?" She purred.

"I'm Joseph. It's a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth." He shook her hand and I could see her swooning from his British charm.

"The pleasure's all mine." She smirked at him.

"Uh, Kate! Julie needs to speak with you." Nina suddenly interrupted and elbowed Paul in the ribs.

"Ah! Oh yeah, right! That's why we came over here!" Paul coughed out and Nina immediately took my hand, dragging me away from everyone.

"I'll see you guys later!" I chirped and gave a wink to Ian to which he returned.

Elizabeth saw everything.

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><p>"Who is that?" I asked when the three of us were in my dressing room. Alright, so they lied. Julie really didn't need to see me but I needed the scoop on blondie.<p>

"Elizabeth Foster. You know, the model?" Nina said and a light bulb went off in my head. I knew she looked familiar.

"Is she always like that?"

"Most of the time, yeah." Paul grimaced. "She always comes by and I can't stand her."

"Jeez, Paul!" I said.

"I'm serious!" He defended.

"Honestly, she's bad news. She's just not a nice person." Nina said.

"So, why does Ian keep her around?" I asked.

"They've been friends for like ever." Paul said in a girly voice that nearly made me double over.

"I kinda don't like her already. She looked calm on the outside but in her mind she already killed me like ten times." I remarked, remembering her face when Ian told her I was his girlfriend.

"Join the club, we've got jackets. She hates me, but she's so fake in front of Ian."

"Oh, so she's a fake bitch?" I said in realization.

"Totally." Paul's girly voice came back in full swing.

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><p>I had gone back to set to find Elizabeth gone. Thank God! Joseph and I were getting set up for our big fight scene. The fight with Klaus would be my biggest fight sequence ever. I needed a stunt double since I was going to be thrown into a glass mirror. For the sixties dance episode, Matt Davis and I had stunt doubles since we were getting thrown into lockers and display cases. Matt and I stood on the sidelines, grumbling because we really, really wanted to do stunt work. I wanted to be thrown into a wall of lockers! We pleaded with Julie and the directors of the episode but they turned us down. We were considered valuable so they couldn't have us walking around injured. I understood their point, but I wanted to be tossed around.<p>

Oh, well. There's always next season.

Yes, my contract was renewed for Season 3! I'd have to go out and celebrate, but I'd make sure to drink water and not that whipped cream vodka that did me in the night of Candice's party.

Joseph and I worked with the stunt coordinator first to see exactly what was going to be going on with our fight. I was to lunge for Joseph and then he'd send me flying into the wall of mirrors. We decided to shoot that first. My stunt girl, Gwen, got into place and she did really look like me. I met her the night we shot the sixties dance. She had the same build as me and the same hair color and type. It was weird to look at but I got used to it. Gwen had a harness attached to her waist and a wire led up to the ceiling was connected to a pulley system. A couple feet away from that pulley was a man standing on a ladder with the wire clutched in his hand. Joseph stood onset on his mark as he waited for everyone to be in place. The director called action and Gwen ran towards Joseph who was prepared to shove her backwards. Once he made the motion, the man holding Gwen's wire jumped down from the ladder, sending Gwen flying towards the mirror. It smashed to pieces and Gwen writhed on the floor, her flailing arms and legs kicking any pieces of glass that were around her.

"And cut!" The director called and Gwen shook the glass out of her hair. I gave her a thumbs-up and she smiled at me. "That looked good, guys! Can we get this glass out of here and move a false mirror in?" He said and everyone on set went to work. Now they would shoot the scene in the same matter with me placed into it with a fake mirror. It would break but the glass wouldn't cut me. It was similar to the scene in season one with Stefan tackling Damon through a window. It looked fairly easy but I was nervous since stunts can always go wrong. All of the glass was cleared out of the studio set and the floor was swept and thoroughly cleaned to make sure it wouldn't hurt anyone else on set. I was hooked up to the harness and the assistants gave some sharp tugs on the wires, making sure they would hold. They had me do a couple test runs, stopping me before I hit the mirror and they were ready to shoot the scene.

They started the scene and I ran at Joseph, the wires tugged me back and hit the fake mirror. The glass fell around me as I crouched on my hands and knees, allowing the camera a couple of seconds to get a view of my exposed arms so they could CGI some cuts and scratches that would heal over. Then the harness was removed and we went onward with the scene.

Joseph and I were wrestling back and forth on the ground before he finally pinned me down and crushed his lips to mine. We had rehearsed this scene a couple of times with Julie so it wasn't too awkward. Joseph, on the other hand, was totally fine with doing raunchy scenes. I mean, c'mon ladies! Have you seen the TV remake of Ben Hur? I saw his ass more than I saw my own! That's actually kind of weird because I haven't seen Ian's ass. Well, I did see him in the movie Wake, but that didn't really count because he had a shirt over it. Dammit, if it could have just shifted a little bit lower. I knew I probably shouldn't be worried about my boyfriend's ass since I was supposed to be doing a scene with Joseph. I felt his tongue snake in my mouth and I tightened my arms that were twisted around his neck. I bit his lower lip hard which caused him to pull back and the scene continued. Blood and other such things were added before I was tossed into the pile of fake glass, Joseph leaving me to complete my werewolf transformation.

I had spoken with Michael Trevino about it since he was the only one around on set who had done this kind of work in front of a camera. He worked with me extensively; giving me some stretches to do to make sure my body was in shape for it. I worked a lot with our acting coach as well as Julie and Kevin. They had me shoot the scene and they would CGI the fur, eyes and my bones snapping. My voice was practically sore from pretending to scream in agony. I had to act as if my bones were breaking and joints were being separated from their sockets. Julie and Kevin even brought in an actual trained wolf to be in the scene. That was enough of a surprise when I saw a white wolf sitting by my chair.

"Kate, this is Mila. She's going to be your wolf for today and this is her trainer, Will." Julie introduced the two of us and I was hesitant to greet the wolf but she hurried right over to me and sniffed my feet.

"Don't be intimidated by her. Her bark is worse than her bite." Will joked and I carefully crouched down to meet my new friend.

"Hello beautiful." I said and Mila licked my face. "Oh, you're nothing but a big sweetheart." I cooed and gently stroked her head. Each of us that had to interact with Mila had to train with her and Will. Joseph, Ian and I all had our time with Mila and those scenes were shot and out of the way. Hopefully I'd be able to see Mila again. Perhaps I'd have to keep dropping hints to Julie and Kevin for season three.

Over the following weeks we were able to completely finish season two. I couldn't believe after everything this season was finally done! I shared so many laughs and good times with everyone that it was bittersweet leaving them for a little break. I knew that the fans were going to love what happened. The Season would leave off with Cassandra and Stefan leaving with Klaus in order to pay their debt to him. The scene with Cassandra leaving Damon was so heart wrenching and was probably one of the hardest scenes I've ever had to do. Afterwards I made sure to take Ian aside and kiss him. It sounded silly but I wouldn't want to leave him like Cassandra had to leave.

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><p>Unfortunately I did have to leave for about three weeks to do some interviews and promotional business for the show. I had to leave Atlanta and then go to Burbank, California for the Ellen Show and then to the NBC Studios in New York for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. I was beyond excited to do these things but at the same time I wanted to just relax and spend some time with Ian. He took me to the airport and walked me through the terminal. I checked my suitcase and slung my large carry-on over my shoulder as Ian's fingers laced with mine.<p>

"You'll be back soon." He assured me.

"I know that. I'll just miss you." I admitted sheepishly as I adjusted my shades over my eyes. Ian did the same and tipped his black fedora down over his eyes. God, he looked hot with that hat on. I pulled my Disney sweatshirt tighter around me and I stole a look at our interlaced fingers. I could definitely get used to seeing that. His hands were so big and warm, compared to him I had baby hands. Ian nudged me and I nearly tripped over my own feet. He chuckled at me and I shoved him back.

"Security! This woman is harassing me!" He joked and I jumped on his back in retaliation. Ian gave me a piggy back ride down to my gate and gently eased me down to the ground. We both looked up at the screen where the words 'Now Boarding' were blinking and I took a deep breath before letting out a heavy sigh. "Looks like this is it, shorty." Ian said.

"I guess so." I mused. Ian pulled me closer and hooked the zipper of my sweatshirt in the grooves before pulling it up a little. "Thanks." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"What? I don't want you to catch a cold. Think of how that would break Ellen's heart." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I giggled.

"Can I have a kiss goodbye?" I asked playfully with a raised eyebrow and Ian's hands found their way around my waist.

"You can have as many kisses as you want." He whispered in my ear and placed a little kiss on the shell of my ear. His lips kissed my forehead, cheek, the tip of my nose and finally my lips. I laced my arms around his neck, never wanting to let him go. This was the first real relationship I had ever had with anyone and I could say that what I had with Ian was a real connection that I don't think I could find with anyone else.

"Last call for passengers boarding Flight 592 to Burbank!" The woman at the ticket check barked over the intercom and we broke our kiss. Damn people! Do they always have to ruin my completely adorable romantic moments with my man? I pushed my sunglasses higher up on my face, trying to hide my little tears that were shining in my eyes. Ian gave me one last kiss before taking off his fedora and placing it on my head. I smiled widely and stood on my tippy toes, giving him another kiss and lugging my bag with me over to the ticket scanner. The woman gave me a smile but did a double take. She then smiled understandingly and scanned my ticket. I was about to walk into the tunnel to the plane but I took a quick glance over my shoulder to see Ian still standing there. He blew me a kiss and slid his shades down so I could get a look at his gorgeous blue eyes. He sent me a wink and I blew him a kiss back. I turned back around and took a deep breath before heading through the tunnel, the door making a solid click behind me.

There's no turning back now.

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><p><strong>So, what do you guys think of Elizabeth? Love her? Hate her? Kate will be on Ellen and Jimmy Fallon :) and there will be some surprises along the way! Cannot wait for TVD tomorrow :-D<strong>

**Hope you guys liked this chapter and please, please, please review!**


	13. Talk Show Stardom and Surprises

**Two chapters in two days? Wow, I must love you guys! (In all seriousness - I do!) I love every single one of you who reads/reviews/favorites/alerts my stories xoxo - Thanks so much for supporting me :)**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88**

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><p><strong>The Ellen Degeneres Show (Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California)<strong>

"When we come back, we'll be sitting down with Kate Walker as she talks about her role on the hit CW show, The Vampire Diaries. Don't go anywhere!" Ellen chirped and her DJ played the music before the show went to commercial. Wow! I was finally here! I was waiting backstage at The Ellen Degeneres show! I literally got off the plane, took a quick shower and changed at the hotel before heading off to the studio. I texted everyone to let them know I landed safely and I missed them already. My parents knew as well and wished me good luck. Hopefully I'd get a chance to see them in my journeys. I would be in New York the following week so I'd definitely stop by.

When they cued up the audience to start dancing again I was cracking up watching the audience members dancing along with Ellen. It made me wanna dance! Ellen made her way to her chair and sat down, the audience was still cheering wildly.

"Welcome back! Our next guest is a vampire on the hit CW show The Vampire Diaries. Take a look." She said and they rolled a clip from the show. "Please welcome, Kate Walker." Ellen introduced and I took a big breath before strutting out. Lady Gaga's 'Pokerface' was playing as I walked down the steps and over to the stage. I danced a little because I just couldn't resist a Lady Gaga song. Ellen got up and danced with me too before I hugged her and sat down. I waved at the audience who was still clapping.

"I have to say," I started. "I am so excited to be here." I smiled. "And I am even happier that I came in to a Lady Gaga song."

"You like Lady Gaga?" Ellen asked.

"I love her! She's so fierce and fabulous! I'd love to meet her someday, but I think I'd faint if I was in the same room with her." I laughed.

"Well, thanks so much for coming. This is your first talk show appearance ever?" Ellen asked.

"Yep, now you can see why I'm so excited." I giggled.

"So, talk to me about the show. It was big for the first season and now it's really big. Do people recognize you when you go out?"

"Oh yes, definitely. Just walking to the studio I have people following me and recognizing me. When I went home to New York, I was eating dinner with my family and a bunch of people came up to me asking for pictures." I explained.

"Does that bother you at all?"

"Oh my gosh, no! I love it! I don't get how some celebrities just push their fans away. I wish I had time to stop and sign every autograph and take every picture with each fan. I feel that the fans make the show and without them, this show would be nothing and I'd be without a job." I laughed.

"Are there any kinds of music that get you inspired to play your character?" She asked.

"I listen to a lot of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, and Beyoncé because my character is a very confident woman and I want to be able to embody that when I'm shooting." I replied.

"I notice that you do a bunch of scenes in your underwear." Ellen said.

"Yeah, I feel like the entire cast and crew has seen me in my underwear more times than I've seen myself." I joked and the audience chuckled.

"Like do you do any special work-outs or anything to get your body in the shape that it is, which is pretty awesome!" They flashed a photo of me standing in a bra and underwear and I blushed slightly.

"Thank you! Well, I do work with a trainer and the stunt fighting is also quite a work-out. I try to watch what I eat as well. Everyone needs their cheat days." I said.

"What foods are your cheat foods?"

"Oh gosh, uhm, Chinese food, Johnny Rockets. Their chili cheese fries! Oh my god, so, so good!" I laughed. "Junk food is my weakness."

"Do you ever feel uncomfortable doing those scenes?" Ellen asked.

"At first I did. But I wanted this job more than anything so I said, "Hand me the lingerie! Let's do this!" I was never a size two and I will never be a size two so, I just decided that this body is the body I got so I'm gonna love it and if other people don't like it than that's too bad."

"That's great. I mean, especially because it's nice to have women in the public eye that are so confident, such as yourself, because it can help younger girls have more confidence about themselves."

"I totally agree. Women run the world." I said and the audience definitely agreed with me.

"So, I got you a little something…" Ellen trailed off and she reached behind her chair to pull a little bag up onto her lap. "Since you wear all this lingerie, I decided to get you a special pair." She said and she pulled out a pair of her infamous Ellen underwear and handed them to me. I had dreamed about getting a pair of these babies'! I held them up and shook them for the crowd and they cheered. "And I also got you something else." Ellen then pulled out a black bra that had her face printed on each cup. I threw my head back, laughing in hysterics and so did the crowd.

"Oh my God! This is great!" I laughed, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Now, you thought that you were going to have to quit the show?" Ellen asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, my dad went into cardiac arrest when I started shooting and I didn't know if I was going to be able to continue because my family comes first over everything. But Kevin and Julie, the creators of the show, kindly allowed me to have some time with my family until my dad was home and settled. That time was really hard for me, but Ian, Paul and Nina flew down to be with me." I felt myself tearing up just thinking about the pain and fear I had experienced during that time.

"And how is your dad now?"

"He's doing much better, thank god. Even though he can be a pain in the butt, he's still my dad and I love him." I said sweetly.

"Well, that's great and I wish your dad the best. I also couldn't help but notice that you tweet." Ellen smiled. "I saw you come up on my page the other day, but I didn't know if it was a fake."

"Yes, Ian made me get one. I still kinda don't get it." I said.

"You mean your boyfriend?" Ellen joked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I giggled. Ian and I were still being quiet about our relationship so I wasn't about to share my relationship status on television. My parents knew and so did Ian's as well as Nina, Paul and some other people on set, but that was the extent of it. "But, yes, my twitter was officially certified that it was me."

"Yeah, so everyone go follow her! I was actually looking through your pictures and I saw this one," She pointed up to the screen and the photo of Ian, Sienna and I in the hospital flashed up. I smiled widely. I missed that girl so much. "Who is this?"

"That is a young lady I met when I was at the hospital with my dad. Ian and I were in the cafeteria and her mother came up to us and told us that her daughter was a huge fan of the show and asked if we could come see her. So, of course I wanted to see her. Her name is Sienna. She's eighteen and she has cancer. That's funny you showed that photo because I called her the other day and she didn't answer her phone. I miss her a lot. She's such a sweetie."

"Well, maybe she didn't answer because she's here right now." Ellen said and I froze. No way! She can't be here! Sienna was supposed to be in New York.

"What?" I asked with wide eyes.

"Sienna, come on out here!" I turned around and felt goose bumps rise on my arms when I saw Sienna. I just couldn't believe it! She smiled at me as she came from behind the huge sliding doors. She had a blonde wig on, her hazel eyes shining brightly and I literally tackled her. I threw my arms around her, crying into her shoulder.

"You little brat! You didn't answer my calls!" I playfully chided. Sienna just giggled, her blonde waves falling over her shoulders.

"I missed you!" She chirped.

"I missed you too sweetie!" I gushed and pulled her back to my chair where an assistant had gotten Sienna one.

"Surprised?" Ellen asked with a smile as she handed Sienna and I some tissues.

"Yes! How did you...?" I was speechless. I was completely lost for words.

"And Sienna has something she wants to tell you." Ellen said and I turned to Sienna waiting for what she needed to tell me.

"I'm in remission." Sienna said simply and my jaw dropped into my lap.

"No way..." I covered my mouth and shook my head.

"Yeah, I'm clear." Sienna cried and I enveloped her in another tight hug. I was shaking with sobs as I cried into her shoulder. I pulled away from her and Ellen handed the two of us a box of tissues. I drew three from the box, drying my eyes and fixing my smudged make up.

"Alright guys, we're gonna take a break." Ellen said and I hugged her before taking Sienna backstage with me.

"I can't believe you! I was so worried!" I said and hugged her again.

"I know. I felt bad for not getting back to you but I wanted you to be surprised." She said.

"Well, you certainly did that." I quipped. My time on the Ellen show was finished and I bid her goodbye and thanked her again. I wanted to spend some time with Sienna so we found some little café close to my hotel room. "So, how are you?"

"I'm fine! I have been feeling so much better. It's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders." Sienna gushed and twirled her blonde locks. "It's just that, now I have to start helping pay off the medical bills." She said.

"Sienna, I'll help you. Anything you need, I'll help." I said, holding her hand across the table.

"Thank you. I appreciate it, I really do." She smiled. "How do you like my hair?" Sienna asked, running her fingers through the blonde wig.

"I like it a lot! Is that what your hair looked like before it…?" I trailed off. Maybe this was too sensitive of a subject to talk with her about.

"Fell out? It's okay, you can say it." She said. "I wanted it to look my hair so I went to a special place to get it done. My real hair is actually starting to grow back! I would show you now, but I don't think people would appreciate me taking my wig off. I kinda look like Tinker bell." She laughed.

"Are you going to keep it short?" I asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. I'm not sure. I would like it to be long though since I'm used to having my hair long." She said. "Oh, I also went back to school." She said happily.

"That's great! Where are you going?" I asked.

"NYU, in the city. I was originally from New York, ya know."

"No kidding! What are you going for?" I sipped my coffee. Ahh, salvation. I haven't had a good cup of coffee since the plane so it was definitely a treat for me.

"Acting. I've always loved it." She replied.

"Seriously? I could totally get you a role on the show if you'd like." I said. It would be awesome to have her on the set. Even if she would just be an extra, it would be good for her to get some actual experience. Plus, I think everyone would absolutely love her. Sienna was such a kind and loving person.

"Oh, no, I couldn't. I wanna work for what I want." She said.

"I can get you an audition!" I said excitedly. "Oh, come on! Please! Pretty, pretty, please!"

"I don't know, Kate. I'm not ready…I don't have any material and–"

"Relax! I'll help you!" I said with a smile and Sienna finally smiled back.

"I guess so. What do I have to lose?" She laughed. We spent the rest of the day together, going shopping and doing girly things. "So, you and Ian, huh?" Sienna smirked and playfully elbowed me as we ate some ice cream at a nearby parlor.

I shrugged sheepishly with the biggest smile on my face and just continued eating my ice cream. "Maybe." I laughed.

"Oh come on! That face totally means yes!" She squealed. "Did you and him…?" She trailed off.

"No! No, no, no!" I replied, my cheeks blushing beet red.

"You're boring. No details for me." Sienna smirked.

"I want to take things slow with Ian." I defended.

"I totally understand. You don't want to give it away to someone who doesn't love you." She said and I nodded.

"Yeah, I mean, he's just so…perfect and handsome." I gushed, my heart practically swelled whenever I thought of him.

"You love him." Sienna stated. I…Did I love him? "You love him!" She jumped up and down excitedly and I chuckled.

Some things never change.

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><p><strong>Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC Studios 49th Street side of 30 Rockefeller Plaza GE Building)<strong>

I sat in my dressing room backstage before the show with my blackberry attached to my ear. I felt like I had been all over the world in just a couple of weeks. I had seen my family which I was so thankful for and I had been doing interviews and photo shoots. I missed my VD family so much, especially Ian. I had some time to talk with him before I went on with Jimmy Fallon. Ian was in Louisiana visiting his family since he hadn't seen them because he was always filming.

"I miss you." I said, cradling the phone to my ear. I didn't want to sound clingy or needy but I missed him a lot.

"_I miss you too, Kate_." Ian sighed. "_How about you and me have a date night when you get back? Just the two of us._" He suggested and I smiled.

"I like the sound of that. You're gonna cook for me?" I joked.

"_Are you doubting my cooking abilities?_" Ian asked with a smirk. "_You weren't complaining about my pancakes the last time I made them for you_."

"Well, that's because I was hung over and would've eaten anything." I laughed aloud. "My pancakes were so much better than yours!" I sang.

"_Oh, you're so getting it_." He grumbled and I giggled, but they faded to silence. "_Come back soon, okay? I'm dying over here without you._" He said sadly and my heart dropped low in my chest. Although it was a comfort to know that he missed me as much as I missed him.

"I know, I will." I promised. "How's the family?" I asked.

"_They're all good. They wanna meet you_." Ian said.

"What? Why would they wanna meet me?"

"_Well, I can't stop talking about you and they've met everyone else from the cast. You're also my beautiful girlfriend and they want to meet you_." I wanted to meet Ian's parents since he got the chance to meet mine. Sure, it was in a hospital but he met them regardless.

"That's sweet. I'll get out to Louisiana one day. I've always wanted to go." I mused.

"_I'll take you. Seriously, we'll just go_." Ian said and I smiled brightly.

"Easy, tiger. I've gotta get this done before I can do anything." I giggled.

"_Tiger? I like that pet name, although I do like Smolderholder_." He smirked and I heard a knock at my door.

"I gotta go. Jimmy Fallon awaits." I said and I heard his breathy laugh.

"_Alright. Have fun tonight_."

"I'll call you when I'm done?" I inquired.

"_Of course. I wanna wish you goodnight_." Ian said and I smiled even wider.

"Smooth talker." I smirked.

"_You know it_." He countered. "_Talk to you later, beautiful_."

"Bye." I whispered and the line went dead. I sighed and put my phone in my bag when I heard a couple soft knocks at the door.

"Miss Walker?" I opened the door and gave the small blonde assistant a smile even though I was aching inside.

"Yes, I'm ready. I'm sorry to keep you waiting." I said.

"It's alright. I'm here to escort you to the set." She said.

"Of course! Let's do this." I said eagerly and she led me down the hallway to the stage. I stood behind the curtain as I heard the band start playing as Jimmy Fallon came back from a commercial.

"Welcome back, our next guest plays a sexy vampire on the hit TV show, The Vampire Diaries. Here is Kate Walker." He announced and I pushed the curtain aside. I stepped up onto his little platform, giving Jimmy a kiss on the cheek and sat down. "Alright, so first things first, you're a vampire but you walk in the sun?"

"Yeah, we have daylight rings that are spelled by a witch and it allows us to walk in the sun." I replied.

"So, you guys don't sparkle?" He asked and the audience chuckled.

"No, we don't sparkle. We're actually pretty dangerous." I smirked.

"Yeah, I mean you guys are actually threatening. I wouldn't want to come across any of you guys in a dark alley. What do you think about Twilight? Have you read the books?"

"I have read the books and they're all really great! I haven't seen the movies yet. I know that people sometimes expect us to hate Twilight but that whole franchise is the reason I have my job. I also think it's interesting how each author puts their own spin on supernatural beings."

"Right, because Twilight vampires are different from The Vampire Diaries vampires. In what sense?"

"Well, we have to be invited into a home by someone who lives there and vervain is really bad for us." I said.

"What is vervain?"

"It's a plant that grows in Mystic Falls and it hurts vampires. It makes our skin burn. So not fun." I deadpanned. "And humans can put it in their jewelry or they can drink it in beverages. So, if a person is wearing vervain then they can't be compelled by vampires."

"What is compelling someone? Oh, that's the weird eye thing?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes, that's the weird eye thing. If you watch True Blood then it's called 'glamouring'." I said.

"Now, how do they do the eyes and the fangs?" Jimmy asked.

"Well the veins underneath the eyes are CGI, but we have these red contacts that fill your entire eye. The fangs are CGI also." I explained.

"Why the fangs?"

"Because when we first had the fangs they were so short that we had to do the 'dramatic rearing head back' before we bit someone." I laughed.

"Like can you show us?" Jimmy said and I did a dramatic hiss before rearing my head back and baring my teeth.

"You do like the raawwwrr thing!" I giggled and Jimmy burst out laughing and so did the audience.

"Doesn't it feel ridiculous?" He asked.

"It did for like the first week because you don't know what you look like doing this hissing and growling thing. So, Nina Dobrev-she plays Elena and Katherine on the show- told me to practice my vampire face the first day I met her and it sounds absurd but you've gotta do it."

"You guys all get along nicely?"

"No," I said without hesitation but I smiled coyly.

"I can tell. The chemistry just isn't there. I know you wanna tear out Ian's jugular." Jimmy played along.

"Ugh, he's such a brat." I laughed. "But all kidding aside, these people who work on the show make me want to come to work every day." I said.

"Now speaking of Ian," Jimmy started. "Are you two an item?" He asked and the audience 'oohed'. I bit my lip, this certainly was a popular question.

"I don't kiss and tell." I smirked and the audience clapped.

"Touché!" He replied. "He plays your love interest on the show?"

"Yep, did you guys see last week's episode?" I asked the audience and they cheered and clapped. It was the episode where Damon and Cassandra had finally made love.

"Was that your first love scene you've ever had to shoot?"

"Yeah." I still blushed even though that scene was long gone.

"How was that?"

"A little awkward because it was me and Ian along with like six other people in Damon's bedroom. The two of us were totally naked and you're looking at three different cameras on you. But Ian and I are really good friends so we ended up joking about it afterwards."

"But my biggest confusion is that you died in this past episode."

"And then I came back to life!" I said excitedly.

"How?" He asked.

I gave a coy smile. "I'll never tell." I sang and the audience laughed. "I don't know if you know this, but there is a paintball sniper backstage and if I reveal any secrets about the show, his job is to just take me out." I joked.

"Alright, well since you can't tell us that. Were you surprised reading the script?"

"Oh God, I thought they were killing me off! The first copy they gave to me ended with me dying and then it cut to where Elena stabs Elijah and then the episode just went as follows. I found out later that someone took the page out where I come back."

"You thought you were done for?" Jimmy laughed.

"Yeah! I was like, well this has been fun! Lemme go to my dressing room to pack my stuff and leave now." I joked. "I really hope they keep me on for a long time. I'm having way too much fun."

"Your fan base has blown up since appearing on the show for the first episode you were in and now you're a regular."

"I have officially graduated." I smiled.

"We actually have a fan backstage and they absolutely love you and they want to meet you." Jimmy said. "We flew them out here thinking they were just getting backstage passes but we had them come in specifically for your show so they don't know that you're here."

"Oh, of course." I smiled. "I would love to meet them."

"Alright, bring 'em out." He called to the curtain. I looked over and my jaw dropped when I saw Ian walk through the curtain. What? I just spoke to him on the phone! He was in Louisiana so how was he here? The audience went crazy and Ian shook hands with Jimmy and walked over to me. I leapt up out of the chair and threw my arms around him, holding him tightly.

"I got you." He smirked and kissed my cheek.

"I can't believe you're here!" I squealed and pulled away. I smiled up at him before playfully punching him in the stomach. "I thought you were in Louisiana, you moron!"

"Hey! No beating up your co-stars!" Jimmy yelled.

"I literally spoke to him like two minutes before I came out here." I defended. "He told me he went home to visit his family."

"I lied." Ian wiggled his eyebrows at me and I scowled.

"Now, wait a second, I never realized how short you are." Jimmy said and it was true, I was a very tiny girl. "I mean, I didn't notice it because I'm kind of a small guy, but you look like a little doll next to him." I laughed and Ian and I stood back to back. "Can we get a close up of this?" He asked his camera man.

"You think this is bad? Just wait." I said and kicked off my sky high stiletto heels, effectively knocking an extra four inches off me. The audience laughed even harder and so did Jimmy.

"How the hell do you do scenes with him?" He asked as the two of us sat down and I pulled my heels on.

"We have her stand on a little box." Ian laughed and I poked him. "Are those shoes from the show?"

"…Yeah. I asked Julie and she said yes." I admitted. There was a really hot pair of booties which Cassandra wore a lot and I wanted to wear them while I was away from the set. So, sue me!"

"Those are hot." Ian smirked.

"Is he very flirtatious on set?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes!"

"No!"

I glared at Ian and he just smiled back at me. "He flirts all the time." I defended.

"No, I don't. I just like to make a woman feel like she's the only one in the room while I'm talking to her." Ian said innocently. "Is that such a crime?" I rolled my eyes playfully and Ian chuckled.

"Now, this is a photo of the four main characters on the show...can we bring that up please?" Jimmy said and flashed up on the screen was a Season 2 shoot we did. It was Nina, Paul, Ian and I in a dilapidated room. Paul and Nina were posed next to each other on a broken down bed while Ian sat on the floor. I was posed sort of hanging off the bed with my arms around Ian's shoulders. My head is next to his and the both of us are staring teasingly at the camera. Our bodies and faces were lightly covered with sweat.

"Oh my gosh! I never saw how this came out!" I squealed as I looked over the photo. That was a day where I had to leave to catch a flight to New York back when my dad wasn't feeling well.

"You never saw this?" Jimmy raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I had to leave the set early. My dad had congestive heart failure so every week I'd make it a priority to get back home for my family even if it was just for a little while." I explained.

"Oh, that's right! How is your dad doing?"

"He's doing well. Thanks." I smiled. It was nice to see that people cared about the well being of my family instead of constantly asking me questions about the show.

"So you flew from Atlanta, Georgia where you guys shoot to New York at least every week?"

"Yep, some weeks were harder to get home than others but I think I did pretty well." I said.

"Well, if that doesn't get you a 'Number One Daughter' medal I don't know what will." Ian said.

"Absolutely. How do they get you to look all sweaty?" Jimmy asked.

"They actually make us run laps around the studio and then they pose us." I replied with a snarky smirk and the audience chuckled.

"And we also have this photo…" Jimmy trailed off and flashed a picture of Cassandra in bed with three bitten and bloody men. It was a promotional shoot for Cassandra's dark period as a vampire. I had blood dripping down my lips and my fangs were out. The boys were all shirtless with various bite marks over their arms, necks, chests and shoulders. Their hands were caressing my body in sensual ways and on the side of the photo in red letters read, "Come closer, I don't bite…much." It was funny because all of the guys were Ian's friends when they were models. It's a small world after all. All of them were so respectful and sweet. Some members of the audience whooped and whistled while Ian chuckled.

"Oh damn." Ian smirked.

"Yeah, really!" Jimmy chuckled. "Looking at you now, I don't think I could ever see you like this. You look too innocent."

"Appearances can be deceiving." Ian joked and I smacked him.

"It's because I have that sweet, young face." I laughed.

"You do though, like no one would ever suspect you to do anything bad." Jimmy said.

"Exactly! No one suspects the cute, quiet ones." I explained.

"She's a little prankster on set though," Ian mumbled.

"Oh please! That's only because I try to get revenge on you!"

"What about the time you put pepper in my blood?"

"So? You have to admit, that was a good one! I got that from Paul." I said proudly. "And don't even think I'm letting you off the hook for stealing my script!" I shouted back. This was all playful banter between us but the audience and Jimmy certainly seemed to love it. The camera man gave a signal to Jimmy to wrap up the show so Ian and I stopped.

"We're outta time for tonight but I'd love to thank you two so much for coming out tonight and good luck with the show!" Ian and I nodded while the audience cheered for us. The cameraman called that they had stopped filming. We said goodbye to Jimmy and moved backstage to my dressing room to get my things. Once the door was closed I nearly tackled Ian to the ground.

"I still can't believe you're here!" I gushed, hugging him tightly. "I should totally smack you but I'm just too happy!" Ian chuckled, pulling away and giving me a sweet kiss. I immediately sighed, winding my arms around his neck. It felt so good to be back in his arms again, not to mention it was wonderful to have his lips on mine. I pulled away slightly, resting my forehead against his. "I missed you so much."

"I did too, but I'm here now, right?" He said and I smiled widely. Ian picked up my bag and jacket from the chair and laced his hands with mine. "C'mon, let's go." He said, pulling me out of my dressing room and down the hall.

"What? Where are we going?" I asked, trying to put my jacket on and sling my bag over my shoulder, but that proved to be difficult as Ian yanked me along. "I don't think I can handle any more surprises." I laughed.

"Well, I wanted to have a date night with you…" Ian trailed off and opened the back door to the studio. We were standing outside in the dark when Ian put two fingers in his mouth and let out a loud whistle. I looked curiously at him, but I didn't have time since he took my hand again and we rounded a couple corners before we were illuminated by the bright lights of New York City. I always loved the city whenever I took a ride in with my parents or friends. It was something magical that I don't think could ever be explained without seeing it for yourself. We stood huddled on a corner when a horse and carriage pulled up to the curve. The driver smiled at us, tipping his hat and brought the horse to a stop.

"Mr. Somerhalder!" He called.

"Thanks very much, John. Right on time." Ian said happily. He did all of this for me? I think I was on cloud nine. "My lady," Ian held out his hand and gently helped me up onto the carriage.

"Good evening, Miss Walker." John said and I smiled sweetly. Ian sat down beside me, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "Where to, Mr. Somerhalder?"

"Everywhere." Ian smiled at me.

"You sneaky little…" I giggled at him. I just couldn't contain my happiness. I was smiling so much that I thought my lips would get stuck like that.

"Ah, ah, ah. How about I show you New York City?" He asked.

"I've been here more than you." I laughed. "I should be showing you around."

"Be my guest." Ian smiled, tracing his finger over my cheek before kissing me.

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><p><strong>How much do you love me? The next chapter will be their date night ;)<strong>

**Please review!**


	14. Date Night

**Without further ado, this is the long awaited smut chapter I promised. Thanks so Cori and Katie for helping me and for the amazing support and love from my amazing readers and reviewers!**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

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><p>"And this is 42nd Street." I said excitedly as my eyes gleamed with the bright lights of Broadway. When I was little I always dreamed of being on stage and I guess I was living that dream right now, being on the show.<p>

"What shows have you seen?" Ian asked, his arm still around me along with a warm blanket that was in the carriage.

"Wicked, Mamma Mia, Rent, Mary Poppins, The Lion King and The Phantom of the Opera." I rattled all of them off. I definitely saw a lot more but most of them were closed.

"Wow, which one's your favorite?"

"Ooh that's a tough one..." I trailed off. "Hmm, well I love anything Disney so The Lion King is a must, and not to mention I cry like a baby whenever Mufasa dies." I said. "Wicked is whimsical and fun and then there's Phantom of the Opera, which is so different. It's like in its own category. I love the music, the costumes, the story, the characters, everything about it is beautiful."

"I think you officially schooled me in the art of Broadway." Ian laughed, pulling me closer and kissing my temple.

"Consider yourself schooled." I smirked and leaned my head on his shoulder. "So, what else do you have planned for us?"

"John, you know where to go." He said and John nodded before steering the horse around a corner as we continued the ride. It was an absolutely beautiful evening and I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Can't you tell me anything?" I smirked and he just wiggled his eyebrows at me. I elbowed him, "You bum." I mumbled and Ian tickled my ribs. I nearly screamed out, but Ian's lips covered mine to keep me quiet, not that I minded.

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><p>We pulled up to a fancy apartment building on the Upper East Side and said our goodbyes to John. Ian led me through the lobby and to the elevators, where we stood in the comfortable silence. My mind wandered to all the movies I've seen where two people make wild, raw love in an elevator. I had to admit, it was pretty hot and I wouldn't mind doing it. The dinging of the elevator made me jump and of course Ian smirked at me. I rolled my eyes and stalked out of the elevator, throwing him a sly wink over my shoulder. Ian jogged after me and I felt his warm hand on my lower back, guiding me to his room. It was comforting to see that his room here looked like his apartment back in Atlanta. It was like having a little piece of Atlanta with me. The lights were dimmed and little candles gave the room a nice glow.<p>

"Oh, wow." I smiled as I looked at the candles over the room. "This certainly is a date night." I smirked and couldn't help but feel all warm inside. This was so sweet.

"I hope you like it." He said, and took my coat from me.

"I love it." I gave him a chaste kiss and he hung our coats up. "So, what's for dinner?" I asked as a pranced into the kitchen.

"Dinner's already cooking." He said as he opened the oven and the delicious aroma hit my nose. It smelled like chicken and my stomach rumbled. "It looks good." Ian smiled and closed the door.

"It smells even better!" I said. "Since you're making dinner, can I make dessert?"

"Sure, what do you have in mind?"

"Hmm," I hummed as I looked through his cabinets. I found a box of brownie mix and licked my lips in anticipation. I was a sucker for brownies. That, and cupcakes too. I wasn't normally a dessert girl, but I had my weaknesses. I scanned the back of the box and bustled myself around the kitchen, getting the ingredients. I set a big mixing bowl on the counter and poured everything into it. I was mixing intently when I felt two arms wrap around my waist and a pair of lips at my ear.

"I never knew baking could look so sexy." His lips caressed my neck and I giggled as his breath tickled the skin. I kept trying to stir the batter but Ian's hands rubbed over my hips. I sighed softly as my hand uncurled from around the spoon and I placed them on the counter, bracing myself against it. Ian placed little kisses on my neck and I felt him bite me gently. I moaned low in my throat and pushed my backside into him, rubbing against groin. Ian hummed in my ear before taking a little nip at my ear lobe and he started to grind his lower body against my ass.

"Mmm, you're distracting me." I tisked playfully. Ian chuckled and cupped my cheek to tilt my head so our lips met in a fiery kiss. I turned my body to face Ian and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I immediately opened my mouth, feeling Ian's tongue tickle my bottom lip. His tongue snaked around mine and Ian pushed me into the counter. Ian's hands found my ass and he squeezed firmly, making me squeal and he quickly picked me up and set me down on the surface of the counter. I moved the bowl out of the way; I didn't need my ass covered in chocolate. I crossed my ankles behind his back and pulled him closer, closing the gap between our lips. I threaded my fingers through his lush black hair and just let my mind wander as we kissed passionately on his kitchen counter. Man, life was looking up for me. I had everything I needed right now and I couldn't think of any other ways to make my life anymore perfect. Every aspect of my life had changed so much that some days I would just sit and try to process everything. I was seriously waiting for myself to wake up and for things to go back to normal, but I was still here.

Ian's lips trailed over my jaw line and then down my neck. I moaned and pulled him much closer to me and my head fell back as my skin tingled wherever his lips touched. He helped to ease my blazer off my shoulders and it landed somewhere in the kitchen. I sighed as his hands skimmed up and down my arms before circling around my waist. I was heating up in his grip and I felt as if I was going to melt, but I felt a sudden abnormal heat engulf the room. I broke the kiss and my eyes fluttered open to see smoke coming from the stove.

"Ian!" I shrieked and he lifted me off the counter and placed me down away from the stove. He gripped a fire extinguisher and threw open the oven door. The chicken was on fire and burning to a crisp. Ian sprayed the fire extinguisher at the base of the flame and soon the fire was out. Smoke wafted through the air and I waved my hands through it, trying to clear it out of the room. We both coughed, but I couldn't help myself from laughing at the burnt chicken in the oven.

"Are you alright?" Ian asked worriedly and I nodded, still laughing but now I was coughing too.

"Yeah, I just…" I started but I burst out laughing again. Ian joined me and the two of us were just about crying from the entire ordeal.

"How do you feel about take out?" Ian asked.

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><p>I sighed and took another sip of wine as I leaned back against Ian's comfy couch. We were stuffed from dinner, not to mention Chinese food was my favorite. The smoke was cleared out of the apartment and we could now breathe freely, but we couldn't stop laughing about it.<p>

"I still can't believe you burned the chicken!" I giggled.

"Blame me for trying to be romantic." Ian muttered sarcastically, but I nudged him.

"This was beyond romantic. Really, this was probably the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me." I smiled and his blue eyes twinkled in the candle light. I raised my wine glass and clinked it with his, "Thank you."

"You are most welcome." He winked and we took sips from our glasses. Ian placed his down on the coffee table and held his hand out to me.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"Come on," He wiggled his eyebrows and I giggled. I set my glass next to his and took his hand. He helped me up off the couch and he gripped a remote, clicking a button and the sound of soft music came from the stereo in the corner. I smiled brightly and Ian tossed the remote on the couch. I placed my hand on his shoulder and Ian snaked an arm around my waist. We swayed slowly and I snuggled my head on Ian's chest. He pulled me closer and rested his chin on top of my head. I closed my eyes and sighed softly as Ian and I continued to dance. I had to be dreaming, I must have. How could this life be mine? I could say that I was fully content with everything in my life. It's not that I wasn't happy before, but I was a different kind of happy. Before this entire experience on the show, I felt as if I was trying to find where I really belonged. "You're awfully quiet." Ian smirked.

"I'm just thinking." I said with a smile. "About right now." I said and he looked to me to continue. "I'm just really happy." I confessed and Ian smiled down at me. "I'm sorry, I'm just…its word vomit." I laughed and so did Ian.

"That's okay, I'm happy too. I haven't been this happy in a long time." He tucked a curl behind my ear.

"Tonight is just perfect, the burning of the chicken aside." I giggled.

"Man, will you ever let that go?" He asked.

"Nope." I smirked. "In fact, I can't wait to tell Nina and everyone on set."

"You wouldn't." Ian playfully challenged.

"You don't know that." I sang. "Maybe if you give me something then, I might keep quiet."

"And what would that be?" He raised an eyebrow at me and smirked.

"Well, for starters…" I trailed off and played with the collar of his shirt before smoothing down his chest. "You could kiss me." I whispered softly and Ian's eyes flicked down to my lips. He cupped my face in his hands and his thumb gently brushed over my quivering bottom lip. Ian tilted my head up and our lips met. God, how I missed this man's kisses. I smiled against his lips and held his wrists loosely. We stopped our dancing and Ian's mouth opened to let his tongue tickle my lower lip. I gladly accepted his challenge and the two of our tongues circled around each others. My hands found Ian's lush hair while his gripped my waist tightly. His fingers slipped under my tight black shirt and caressed my lower back and hips, making me shiver. I decided to up the ante and ghost the tips of my fingers down his neck. We went back and forth teasing each other with little touches and soon things got heated.

I know what you guys are thinking, what happened to slowing things down? Well, I've reevaluated. Maybe it was because I hadn't seen him in so long, or maybe it was that the attraction between us was undeniable, but either way, I wanted us to move forward in our relationship. Part of me wanted Ian to take me, body and soul, but I was so afraid. I was afraid of falling in love and then I'd crash and burn. I've heard countless relationship horror stories that started out with the lovey dovey kind of love and then it just turned sour. I was always afraid of that happening to me. People have always told me to keep my feet on the ground and keep my head out of the clouds and for the longest time, I followed their advice. I always kept myself grounded and I prided myself for it. But, now, I don't want to be that person anymore. I didn't want to miss out on things in life because I would be afraid with the afterthoughts that would creep into my mind. I just wanted to live and learn and most importantly, love. That's what I wanted. I wanted unconditional, selfless love. I would be willing to give it to someone who would reciprocate and I have a strong feeling that Ian could be the one to give it to me.

My eyelids fluttered open and I looked up at Ian who was hovering over me. We had moved to his bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes along the way and Ian slipped the strap of my bra down over my shoulder. His lips brushed over the skin and he did the same to the other shoulder. His hands hugged behind my back and slowly undid the clasp, looking back in my eyes to see it was alright. I was nearly shaking beneath him but I nodded. Ian slid the bra down my arms and discarded it onto the floor. I suddenly felt the cold air around me and I fought the urge to cover myself. Ian's blue eyes roamed over my breasts and my cheeks blushed a deep red. He kissed over my collarbone and down to the swell of my breasts, his nose nuzzling the soft flesh. His skin felt nice and warm against mine. I shivered involuntarily and Ian hugged my body closer to his. His lips ghosted over my nipple before giving it a slow lap with his tongue. I gasped at the feeling and smiled down at Ian, pleading with him to do it again. He obliged me, of course, and I moaned aloud. Ian switched to the other breast while his hand caressed the one that his tongue played with. I let my head fall back to the mattress and a smile graced my lips as I felt something soft beneath me, besides the mattress. I looked to my side and saw red rose petals sporadically strewn on the bed. I let out a sigh and took one between my fingers, relishing in the softness of them. I just enjoyed the tender touches he was giving me. Nothing was rushed; every single movement was delicate and romantic.

Ian's teeth gripped my nipple and he applied just the right amount of pressure to make me jolt in my spot. He chuckled softly against my skin before repeating the same treatment to my other breast. It was a teasing kind of pleasurable pain that I enjoyed immensely. I ran the rose petal that was still in my hand over Ian's fingers and he stole a look up at me. I smiled and he reached for a rose petal and ran it over my raw nipples. The velvety touch of the petal soothed the little love he'd given me. He then teasingly trailed the petal down my body. Little goose bumps prickled over my stomach and his lips followed the trail of the rose petal. He stopped right at the elastic of panties and started laughing. I craned myself up on elbows and looked down at him.

"What's so funny?" I asked and then I learned the cause of Ian's hysterics. Nina had gotten me a special pair of panties as a joke and she and I would poke fun at each other for it. We even had a bet going to see if I would actually wear them. Of course, I picked tonight of all nights to wear. It was a simple pair of black, low-rise panties, but the red wording on them made them all the more hilarious. On the front in bright red letters read, 'Bite me, Damon.' I was just about horrified that Ian was seeing them. "Oh god…Nina." I bellyached.

"Don't be embarrassed." Ian consoled. "I think their sexy. I think Damon would approve of these." He smirked and I giggled.

"And what about you, Mr. Smolderholder?"

"I definitely approve." He whispered huskily and he hooked his fingers under the elastic, but he stopped and gave one last look at me. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Ian." I said as confidently as I could. I felt Ian remove my panties and I was now completely naked beneath him. His eyes were eating me up and I felt uncomfortable under his gaze. And here comes that huge black cloud of self doubt hanging over my head. My emotions pick the worst time to come out. I covered my breasts and pussy but Ian stopped me.

"No, don't hide from me." He whispered. "You're so beautiful, Kate." I melted inside and smiled. Ian gave me a reassuring kiss before moving his lips down my body. I giggled when he blew air over my stomach and Ian smiled up at me. His kisses went lower and I squirmed with want. My body was torn. I wanted this. I wanted him so much, but I was terrified of it. I was scared of being bad at it or doing something wrong. Ian was such a great guy and I…I loved him. "Kate?" His voice jarred me from my internal battle and I looked down at him.

"Yes?" I asked meekly.

"Breathe." He said and I let out a breath that I forgot I was holding. I laughed a little; I guess that was a way of diffusing my own nervousness.

"Sorry. I'm just nervous." I said.

"I know that, but I'll take care of you, alright?" Ian looked into my eyes and I nodded, still a little nervous and anxious. "I'll make it good for you, I promise." He whispered into my skin before kissing my pubic bone. I let myself relax against the mattress and I felt some of the rose petals beneath my back. Ian spread my legs and he scooted himself between them. I felt his breath over my glistening folds and I shivered. I partially tensed, waiting for him to get started but he moved away from my dripping heat and caught my ankle. He kissed the arch of my foot and I giggled. His lips closed around my toe and he bit lightly, making me laugh even more.

"Stop that! I'm ticklish!" I squealed and Ian smiled, happy that he was making me laugh. He wanted me to feel comfortable and he was doing a damn good job. His lips traveled past my calf and then over my knee before reaching my inner thigh. He repeated the same process on the other leg and I felt myself grow wetter. Who knew that my feet and legs were so responsive? He licked my inner right thigh before nibbling on the soft skin. He gave me a love bite and ran his tongue over the skin and did the same thing to my other thigh. I was just about soaking wet now. I actually felt my pussy creaming and I was just aching for him to touch the place where I needed him the most. Finally and blessedly his fingers spread my lips and I felt something wet touch me. My hips bucked at the strange but exhilarating sensation and I felt it again, it was firmer this time. I propped myself up on my elbows and saw Ian with his face between my legs. His tongue darted out from between his lips and he licked my clit, making a rush of fluid pool in my pussy. Ian's eyes flicked up to meet mine and he smirked at me.

"What? I wanted to see what you were doing." I said quietly.

"You're a kinky little minx." Ian breathed before darting his tongue out again. I moaned as I watched him lick me up and down. It was the strangest sensation, but it felt oh so good. His tongue circled my clit and I hissed, my hips bucking to his face. "You like it when I lick your clit, don't you?" He smirked up at me and I nodded quickly. Ian dirty talking to me was just about the sexiest thing ever! It made my stomach flip and I wanted to keep him between my legs for the rest of time.

"Mmhmm, it feels really good." I whispered and shuddered when his tongue flicked at my little button.

"Don't worry, beautiful. I'll make you feel even better." Ian said before diving back between my legs again. I let myself lean down on the bed, my hair fanning out around me and I felt Ian pick up his pace. His tongue was flicking my clit back and forth and I moaned, fisting the sheets beneath me. His lips closed around my sensitive nub and he sucked earnestly. It was like he was kissing my pussy. He was giving it enough attention as if they were my lips. The suction around my clit was making me squirm with want. Ian's tongue moved from my clit down to my slit and circled my entrance. I partially tensed but quickly relaxed feeling that it didn't hurt. The tip of his tongue dipped inside me and I gripped the sheets harder.

"Yesss!" I bit my bottom lip since I was so close to screaming out. My hands then traveled to Ian's head and I threaded my fingers in his hair. Ian growled into my pussy, the vibrations sending me reeling. He pulled back slightly and I whined out, missing the feeling of his tongue dancing over my pussy.

"Greedy." He tisked at me and I pouted.

"Well, when you make a woman feel that good…I never want you to stop." I panted and ran a hand through my hair. "Don't leave me hanging." I begged.

"I won't." Ian kissed my inner thigh, his nose nuzzling the skin. "Can I try something?" He asked and I nodded hesitantly. "If it hurts then I'll stop. I promise." I knew I could trust him so I gave him a more concrete answer. He left his spot from between my legs to open a drawer on his bedside table. I peeked over to see that it was a little bottle of lube. I raised an eyebrow, a little skeptical at first, but I trusted him. Ian uncapped the bottle, squirting some on his fingers and then rubbing my pussy. I jumped because the slick liquid was cold and the extra wetness felt wonderful. Ian kissed my stomach and I felt his index finger circle my slit. I knew what he was planning and I tried to relax because tensing up would hurt more. His finger slowly dipped inside and I immediately clenched around it. It was uncomfortable and came with a sting of pain but I bit my lower lip in an effort to keep from crying out. Ian waited till I was used to the intrusion before moving a little deeper. He hit my barrier and pressed against it, making me hiss at the discomfort. Ian let up and placed another kiss on my belly, an apology for hurting me. He turned his hand so the palm was facing up and his thumb was level with my clit as I felt him rub over it. I let out a breathy moan and Ian began to gently pump his finger inside me. My hips began to move against him and I was eventually stretched out enough for him to insert a second finger. That felt a little more uncomfortable but I dealt with it since the sting of pain was quickly going away and Ian continued to flick my little button. His fingers caressed inside me and I soon felt a little tremble run down my spine. Ian must have taken a notice that my pussy was hugging his fingers a little tighter now so he picked up his pace.

"Ian…I…please don't stop!" I pleaded with him, my hips meeting his fingers. Ian chuckled at my eagerness and moved his thumb from my clit to replace it with his lips. I gasped, my back arching as his lips suckled my nub. He moaned into my pussy and I yanked his hair again. Remind me again why I didn't do this with him sooner? My body was shaking and heating up at the same as I knew I was coming closer to an orgasm. I was close before but since Ian held it back from me, this one would be even more powerful. Ian's eyes trailed up my body to meet mine and he looked absolutely delicious with his mouth over my quivering pussy. He did that infamous 'Damon smirk' before unlatching his lips from me.

"My girl's ready to cum?" He whispered huskily and I nodded. I was just about ready to burst. I didn't need much more from him before his magical fingers sent me into oblivion.

"Oh my…" My sentence was cut off as I contracted around Ian's fingers. I threw my head back, nearly screaming as I crumbled beneath him. The feeling was unbelievable! It was like I was falling, but blissfully falling. My entire body shook wildly and Ian placed his hand on my stomach to keep me on the bed.

"Good girl. Just ride it out, Kate." Ian coached as he continued to work my spasming pussy. My hips bucked in pulses and I was slick with a thin coat of sweat. My pussy was spilling my juices all over Ian's hand and mouth as I rode out my orgasm. I didn't know when it was that I stopped moaning, but now I was panting and trying to catch my breath. My limbs were slack and my legs were still wide open. I tried to close them, but they felt pleasantly numb. I was a puddle of jello as I heard Ian's voice bring me back to reality. I had given myself orgasms before, but they were never that good.

"You okay?" He asked and I nodded dreamily.

"Wow…I just…wow." I hushed and Ian chuckled. He nuzzled my neck, his tongue licking at the dried sweat on my skin and I hummed in approval. I felt something hard poke at my side and I looked down to see Ian's cock straining against his black boxer briefs. He realized it too and moved to get off me but I suddenly stopped him. "Where are you going?" I asked as my haze of pleasure was disappearing.

"To the bathroom. He's not gonna take care of himself, ya know." Ian replied.

"Well, I could take care of him." I said innocently. Ian made me feel so incredibly amazing that I wanted to make him feel the same way. I wanted to know how to pleasure him. There was only one problem.

"I've just never…" I trailed off as I eyed my hands that were resting in my lap.

Ian tilted my chin up, my eyes meeting his. "Kate, you don't have to. I would never force you."

"I know that, but I want to." I said and trailed my hands over his boxer briefs. Ian shuddered as I slipped the offending material off of him and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. I had never seen a guy's cock before. At least not personally. The closest I got to seeing a cock was in a porno. What? I had to learn my sex education from somewhere! From what my porn experience taught me, Ian was big. The head of his cock was dribbling a little bit of pre cum and I had the bold desire to lick it off. His long, smooth shaft tapered down to his balls which were resting against his thigh. I ran my index finger over his cock, tracing the veins that lay under the skin. Ian gasped as my touch became a little firmer. I circled his head, sweeping up some pre cum before sucking my finger into my mouth. He tasted salty with a pinch of tanginess. I smiled innocently, slipping my finger from my mouth and wrapped my hand around him. He was a complete contradiction. Ian was hard and soft at the same time. "Show me how you like it." I whispered huskily.

Ian's eyes glazed over and he cradled his hand around mine. He tightened his grip and I followed him. His hand guided mine to move up and down his shaft at a leisurely pace before letting me take control. Ian's eyes were closed as little moans and groans passed his kissable lips. His weeping cock was starting to leak even more pre cum so I swiped my thumb over his oozing slit. It was difficult to stroke him so I decided to do something completely out of my comfort zone. I lowered my mouth to his cock and let some saliva drip onto the tip. Ian looked down at me, his hooded eyes watching my every move. My hand used the saliva as a lubricant and I moved more fluidly over his cock.

"Is this alright?" I asked meekly.

"Yes," Ian replied. "Just…" He trailed off, suddenly embarrassed about something.

"Please, Ian. Tell me what you want." I pleaded, I wanted his direction and I knew that I needed it.

Ian cupped my hand once more, tightening both our grips and having my stroke him faster. "Just like that." He breathed and I followed his instructions. My wrist twisted with each pump of his cock and I could actually feel him getting harder. "God, Kate!" He moaned and I felt empowered that I could make him crumble like this. He just looked so incredibly sexy when he was vulnerable and open like this. I kneeled between his legs and bent my head down like before, but I let my lips hover over his tip. Ian shuddered and I smirked widely up at him. I darted my tongue out to flick against his head and Ian let out a breath. I circled around his tip before allowing my lips to suckle it gently. I added some more pressure to my sucks and I heard Ian moaning loudly. I felt proud that I was making him feel good; I wanted to pleasure him in the same way he did me. I had never done this before and I wanted him to enjoy it. I licked his long shaft, my tongue tracing over the veins and I felt them pulsing erratically. I moved to his balls and closed my mouth over one. I ran my tongue over it before suckling it into my mouth. I hummed around it and let it go with a popping sound. I did the same with the other one while my hand was working his shaft and tip.

"How does it feel, baby?" I asked huskily as I pumped his cock. I hoped I looked and sounded sexy, but guessing by the way Ian's eyes watched my every move I knew he liked it. "You like it when I stroke your cock?" Guys like dirty talk right?

"Yes, Kate! You look so sexy with your hand wrapped around my cock." He moaned and cupped my cheek, pulling my lips to his. I moaned loudly as my tongue circled his. I'll take that Ian loves to dirty talk and I love him even more for it. "I'm close." Ian whimpered against my lips. I dove down to his cock and bobbed my head up and down the tip quickly. I sucked before trailing my tongue down the sides and back up again. Ian was thrusting his hips in time with my mouth and I felt him hit the back of my throat but he didn't move farther than that. His fingers pulled at my hair and I was getting more and more turned on by it. He allowed me to take a break since he could tell I was getting tired. I pumped his cock in my hand as I went back to kissing him. I nibbled his earlobe, pulling it through my teeth and growling lightly.

"Are you ready to cum?" I whispered in his ear and suddenly, Ian's hand joined mine and quickened the pace.

"Oh fuck…" He hushed and I felt his cock twitch violently in my grip and his cum shot out of the tip. It spurted all over mine and Ian's bodies and he was moaning some random syllables as he continued to cum. I kept pumping him, my speed slowing as he was coming down from his orgasm. Ian buried his face in the crook of my neck as he panted, trying to catch his breath. He kissed my skin weakly and I craned his head to kiss his lips. He sighed against my lips and I pulled away to clean up his now soft cock which was dripping with cum. I licked him up daintily and swallowed whatever I could. He actually tasted really quite good. His cock spasmed and I blew a puff of air over it. I slipped my fingers into my mouth since they were covered in cum too. I hummed as I sucked each finger into my mouth.

"Yummy," I smirked and Ian chuckled. "Now it's your turn to be speechless." Ian wiggled his eyebrows at me and pulled me close, his lips moved lazily over mine.

"You sure you've never done that before?" He raised a curious eyebrow at me.

"I don't lie." I replied cheekily. I had to admit, I've never done anything like this before, but I felt accomplished that I was able to make Ian cum like that. Even though I didn't go all the way with him, I wouldn't mind having more date nights like these until I'm ready.

"I was just kidding." He laughed and I smiled with him, but a yawn promptly stopped it. I hadn't realized that I was so exhausted from our activities. "C'mon cheeky. Let's get some sleep." I hummed sleepily and Ian pulled me down to lie beside him. He tucked me under the covers and I propped my head on his chest. I felt his hands combing through my hair and his steady heartbeat was right beneath my ear. I tried to wish him goodnight, but it came out as a mumble. "What was that?" Ian joked.

"I said, goodnight." I pronounced fully and Ian kissed my temple.

"Goodnight, Kate." That was the last thing I heard before sleep completely overtook me.

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><p><strong>*blushes* Hot enough for you guys? ;) Hope that you guys enjoyed this one<strong>

**Please, please, please leave a review and let me know what you think and what you would like to see next. I'm having a little bit of writer's block.**


	15. Vacation Time in NYC

**Hello? Is anyone still here reading this story? LOL! I apologize for the long update but I am trying to get some plans together for this story. Again, if anyone has any ideas, please let me know! I would love to include them.**

**Thanks so much to everyone who is still supporting me even though I take a little while to update :/ I wish I could just sit and write all day long! Soon, though, my semester is almost over! Also, a special thanks to Vera for thinking of a ship name for Ian and Kate - Kian! Brilliant! Thanks girl :D**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88 has worked her magic!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD, only Kate and my story.**

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><p>I was gently nudged from my peaceful sleep as Ian shifted in bed next to me. I smiled to myself feeling his arms circle my waist and his body pressed into mine from behind. I could so get used to this. I didn't have a care in the world at this point. I was naked as I could be and I was in the safe, warm arms of my boyfriend. My smile grew even wider as I felt Ian breathing against my neck. He moaned pleasantly, his body waking up.<p>

"Good morning." I chirped softly and Ian kissed behind my ear.

"Morning, beautiful." He whispered and hugged me tighter. I sighed and let my eyes close again. "You still tired?"

I yawned and snuggled closer into him, "Mmhmm," I hummed and I must have fallen back asleep since I woke up to the feeling of Ian nibbling on my ear lobe. I turned over to face Ian and he was smiling down at me. I brushed my lips against Ian's and he returned the sweet kiss. His fingers played over my jaw while his other arm slipped around my waist, pulling me closer. Last night was absolutely magical and we didn't even go all the way. I felt more of a connection to Ian and I couldn't stop smiling. Ian pulled away and ran a hand through my messy curls.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?" Ian finally spoke.

"Thank you," I smiled widely and gave him a quick kiss. "For last night. You were amazing."

Ian gave me a lopsided smirk, "Well, you weren't too bad yourself."

"No, I mean, you didn't push me into anything." I clarified and Ian then understood what I meant. "It wasn't rushed, it was perfect. So, thank you." Ian smiled and pulled me closer for another kiss.

"You were perfect and I will wait for you, Kate. We'll go at whatever pace you want." He said sincerely and I knew he meant every word.

"Well, after last night, I certainly wouldn't want to go too slow." I smirked and Ian chuckled.

"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "I guess I was that good, huh?"

I bit my bottom lip coyly, "Maybe." Ian growled and pulled me even closer to tickle me and I was laughing out loud, trying to get away from him. "No! Ian, stop it! You know how ticklish I am!"

"Don't you play coy with me, shorty." He playfully scolded as he continued to tickle me. I screamed and squealed until suddenly I tumbled off the edge of the bed, pulling Ian with me. We both hit the floor with a thud and we even pulled some of the blankets and pillows down with us. Ian and I moaned in temporary pain but then started up laughing again. "How about we get dressed and have some breakfast?" Ian asked me.

"As long as you don't burn it." I quipped and Ian sighed.

"Damn, woman, you will never let me live that down." He chuckled.

"Nope."

* * *

><p>"I can get used to this." I smirked sitting at Ian's island in the kitchen. I watched him flip our pancakes with perfect form, none of them landing on the floor. I wanted to make myself useful and help out, but Ian made me sit and relax. I guess he wanted to make up for his cooking disaster last night. He kept glancing at me over his shoulder and it didn't help that he was just wearing a pair of black, low slung boxers. Damn, tease! I changed into some clothes that I packed in my bag since I figured that I would have wanted to change into comfier clothes after leaving Jimmy Fallon the night before.<p>

I twiddled my thumbs as I watched Ian make breakfast. _God, this is awkward._ I was not used to being waited on; if I wanted something then I did it myself. I didn't need anyone to do anything for me because I would just do it myself. I waited for Ian to turn his back before quietly sneaking around the kitchen to at least get some plates and utensils to set the table with. I bent over and opened up a cabinet when I felt a hard smack on my ass. I squealed, my back arching as I nearly jumped out of my skin. I looked over my shoulder to see Ian standing behind me with a spatula in his hand.

"Did you just whack my ass with a spatula?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes. I said sit, so sit." Ian replied simply, waving his weapon of choice around.

"I wanna help you." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Well, I want to make breakfast. So, be a good girl and sit down." He placed his hands on my shoulders and guided me back to my chair.

"But it's no fun being a good girl all the time." I whined as he went back to his pancakes. He looked over his shoulder, giving me a smoldering smirk.

"Are you saying that you like misbehaving?" He raised an eyebrow. I threw him the same smirk, wiggling my eyebrows at him, much like how Damon does on the show.

"Maybe." I answered nonchalantly, swinging my legs on the chair. Ian shook his head, laughing and I joined him. It was just so easy being with him and talking with him. It was very odd how he just knew what to say and it just felt too good to be true. Right now, I was just going to enjoy watching my very handsome boyfriend make us breakfast.

Ian piled the pancakes high, setting the plate down on the island before moseying over to the fridge to get an assortment of drinks and fresh fruit. We both sat and started to take pancakes off the pile, slathering them with sweet maple syrup and butter before stabbing a couple of pieces with our forks. I had to hand it to Ian, he was a great cook. "Wow! These are great!" I gushed as I licked a couple drops of syrup off my fork.

"Told you." He wiggled his eyebrows and popped a grape in his mouth.

"It almost makes up for the kitchen debacle." I laughed.

"Debacle? That's a pretty big word." Ian smirked.

"So? I like to have an extensive vocabulary." I turned my nose up at him before taking another pancake and plopping it on my plate. We continued eating and talking when Ian took a strawberry in between his index finger and thumb. He held it up to my lips.

"Open," He whispered and I frowned, shying away from the fruit.

"I don't mean to ruin the mood, but I'm allergic to strawberries." I mumbled. _Gosh, way to ruin a totally romantic moment! The man is offering to feed you food!_

"Seriously?" Ian frowned as well. "I'm sorry, Kate. I didn't know. I guess I should have asked."

"It's fine. I unfortunately have a bunch of food allergies. It totally sucks!"

"What else are you allergic to?" He asked.

"Apples, egg, milk, nuts and all kinds of trees, pollen, mold and ragweed that you can ever imagine." I rattled off.

"Damn, that does suck." Ian agreed.

"Some of the allergies aren't too bad, like the egg and milk, but I just have to live with it." I shrugged and my eyes wandered to a bunch of ripe purple grapes. I plucked one from the bunch and held it up to Ian's lips. "Open," I giggled and he complied, opening his mouth to let his teeth grasp onto the grape. He bit into it, leaving about a half of it left and then he licked at my sticky fingers. I tossed the grape in my mouth before he could get the rest of it and I smirked widely. Ian pouted, so I gave in and picked up another grape. He opened his mouth wide, as if gesturing for me to toss it in. I did and he caught it in his mouth.

"My turn," He picked a grape and I opened my mouth, trying not to laugh at how ridiculous I probably looked. "Stop trying to mess up my shot!" Ian whined.

"I'm not!" I giggled back and Ian had already launched the grape at me. I leaned back, trying to catch it and I surprisingly did.

"Score!" Ian cheered as a chewed the grape.

"Uh uh! We're not done yet!" I protested. We played this game for a while, we were on the last handful of grapes and I was losing by one. I needed to pick up my game and soon we were tied with two grapes left to go. Ian missed his shot, still leaving us tied and I made my shot, winning the entire game. Ian grumbled, demanding a rematch while I did a victory dance in his kitchen.

"You cheated!" He pointed a finger at me.

"Did not! I won fair and square, so HA!" I continued to dance like a fool before hopping up on my chair. "I win. What's my prize?" I smirked, leaning in close. Ever since I saw Katherine say that to Stefan, I had always wanted to do that.

"What would you like it to be?" Ian whispered huskily as he pulled my chair closer to his so the ends were touching. I bit my bottom lip, my eyes darting between his ice blue gaze and his kissable lips.

"Hmm," I thought about it for a little bit, not wanting to seem too eager. "I want…" I drawled. "You, me, and a nice hot bath." I purred and Ian's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "How does that sound?" Ian didn't answer me, but his fingers traced little patterns over my collarbone and I shivered in response. He then gave me a little kiss under my ear before getting down off his chair.

"Let's go." He took my hand and I hopped off my chair, lacing my fingers with his as he led me to his bathroom.

* * *

><p>Ian had drawn a hot bath for us and I couldn't help but confiscate his bath soaps and pour them in the water to make it a bubble bath. The hot water felt wonderful around my sore body and I sighed deeply. All of my muscles relaxed and unwound. We took turns washing each other's bodies, making sure we were squeaky clean. It was extra nice because I got to take the chance to feel Ian's wet, soapy body beneath my fingertips and he got to feel mine. We caressed, touched and tickled before rinsing off, the soapy water swirled around us and there were mountains of bubbles in the tub as well. I took some in my hands and blew them at Ian and he tried to pop them as they floated through the air. I don't remember taking a bath being this fun!<p>

After our fun, I leaned back against Ian's chest and he kissed my temple before running his lips over my bare neck since my hair was in a messy bun. I felt very at ease in Ian's arms, even though I was bare from head to toe. I guess he just has a way of making me feel beautiful around him. He would always tell me how beautiful I was whether we were out in public or in the comfort and privacy of our rooms. My family would always tell me that I was beautiful, but I always felt like it was an obligation. I mean, wasn't that their job? Anyway, it was nice to hear it from someone else, especially if the certain someone else was tall, dark and handsome.

"This is nice." I sighed softly.

"I know, right?" He whispered in my ear as his hands rested on my hips. His fingers caressed my hip bones and I pressed into him a little firmer. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"A little sore." I answered. I did feel a little sore, but it was a good kind of sore. His hands massaged my body, starting with my shoulders. He kneaded the muscles, his fingers digging into the knots and tightness there. My head fell back onto his chest and Ian took the opportunity to suckle the skin on the column of my neck. "Mmm, since your mom was a masseuse, I expected you to have magic hands." I moaned. This felt too good.

"And," Ian placed a kiss on my neck, "what's the outcome?"

"I see deep tissue massages in my future." I laughed and his calloused hands circled my front as he rubbed over the swell of my breasts. Goose bumps prickled over my wet skin and my nipples reacted to his tender touch.

"Anytime you want." He smiled and I heard his words, but I was relishing in the feeling of his hands touching me. I wasn't so concentrated on a massage anymore; I just wanted him to touch me like he did last night. His long, strong fingers dug into my skin and I groaned loudly. "You like that?" I could practically hear his smile in my ear.

"Hmm," Ian grasped a breast in each hand, weighing them in his palms before squeezing them firmly. His thumbs brushed over the nipples and I arched my back. I had grown accustomed to his touches and I noticed that I wasn't as jumpy or anxious anymore. Sure, at times I was nervous, but I welcomed all of the feelings I was experiencing with Ian because I knew that he would respect my body. I felt one of Ian's hands travel down to my center and I opened my legs a little further for him. He lightly stroked my clit and I reached my hand behind us to cup his neck and kiss him. His lips moved slowly and tenderly over mine as he circled my clit. I moaned against his lips and rocked my pelvis to get more friction against him.

"Ian…more please." I panted and he gently slipped two fingers inside me. My muscles clenched around him and I sucked air through my teeth at the little sting in my nether regions.

"You are sore." Ian groaned in my ear. He must have felt that I was tighter than I was last night since my muscles were worked to the point of exhaustion. Ian pumped me eagerly, but he was still gentle with his movements. The water was making everything extra slippery and he was stroking me with ease. "Am I hurting you?" He asked.

"No…oh god, that feels so good." I whimpered as he continued to work me. His thumb ran over my clit in tight circles while his fingers pumped inside me and I quickly felt my coil welling deep in my belly. Ian knew exactly what place to touch and how much pressure to apply to send me over the edge. It was like he mapped out my entire body last night. Occasionally I felt him press against my hymen and I would tense, but Ian would whisper words of comfort in my ear and I would feel better.

"Kate, you're so tight and wet for me." Ian whispered in my ear and I shuddered, feeling the tight coil of my orgasm was almost near bursting.

"Ian…" I breathed, a shiver running up and down my spine. Ian's fingers curled upwards to stroke my upper walls and I threw my head back against his chest. "Yes! Oh fuck! Right there!" He knew exactly where to touch me.

"You mean, here?" Ian quipped as his fingers pressed against my sweet spot and I nearly jolted from the tub.

"Mmm, fuck yes! Keep…oh god! Keep going!" I pleaded as my body thrashed wildly. I felt Ian grinding his cock against the curve of my ass and lower back, I even heard a couple of grunts escape his lips. I wanted to help him out so I reached my hand around to grip him, but Ian bit my shoulder hard. "Ow!" I pouted.

"Just relax." He cooed and continued to stroke me.

"But…I, ohh yes! Ian, I…I want to plea…pleasure you!" I finally managed to get out. He didn't answer me; instead he continued to pump me, bringing me closer to the edge. "Close…so close." I writhed as the water splashed around us. My teeth trapped my bottom lip as I suddenly exploded, my walls clenching around his fingers. I shuddered violently against Ian, who was kissing up and down my neck as I rode out my orgasm. When I came back to my body, I turned my head to Ian and kissed him passionately. We moaned softly, enjoying the feel of our lips on each others. Ian turned me around and pulled me closer to rest in his lap and I couldn't ignore his erection up against my thigh. I looked down before meeting his eyes, "But, you didn't…?"

"Sometimes it's not about me." Ian replied, licking lazily at my lips. "You deserve to be taken care of."

"Well, you're certainly doing an excellent job." I breathed and bumped my nose gently against his. "So, we've got a signing today?"

"Yep." He popped the 'p'. "But, we could always just spend all day in bed." Ian suggested while wiggling his eyebrows.

"We can't let the fans down." I pouted and stood up, dragging Ian with me. He whined and gave me a puppy dog face but I wasn't backing down. I gripped a plush white towel from the rack, but Ian took it from me and gently patted my body down, making sure I was dry. I returned the favor, reaching his softening erection, "You're sure you don't want me to take care of him?" I smirked.

"Nah, I'll just take a cold shower." He shook his head and I turned to leave the bathroom and get changed. "A really, really cold shower!" Ian yelled after me and I laughed aloud.

* * *

><p>I ran my fingers through my damp curls, framing them around my face as I stood in front of the mirror in Ian's room. Ian was still in the shower, humming a tune, while I pranced around in my bra and underwear. I looked at my figure and I felt more like a woman rather than just an ordinary girl. Ian awakened something in me that I couldn't place, but I completely welcomed it. I waltzed over to the closet, shifting the hangers. I had confiscated some of his closet space since we were practically living together. I found a pair of dark blue jeans and a cute simple top when I felt Ian's strong arms circle my waist. His lips caressed my neck and I felt his bare chest against my back.<p>

"You look enticing." He murmured in my ear.

"I didn't even get dressed yet." I giggled.

"I know." He smirked and pulled me closer against him. "I just wanna spend all day in bed with you."

"We will." I said, taking the clothes off the hanger and wiggling out of his grip. "But right now, we have to get dressed." I shimmied into my jeans, leaving the button open when I heard my phone ringing from the bedside table. Looking at the caller ID, I smiled widely. "Hey, honey! How are you?"

_"Hey love! I'm doing well! Guess what?"_ Sienna squealed excitedly.

"What?" I asked nervously.

_"You are talking to the newest member of 'The Vampire Diaries' cast!"_

I screamed, actually screamed out loud, making Ian turn and look at my worriedly.

"Oh my God! You got it? Congratulations!"

_"Yeah! I just got off the phone with Julie. I'll be getting my script soon, so we'll have to practice."_ She babbled.

"Of course! Oh, honey, I'm so proud of you!" I gushed and Ian was smiling too.

_"Thank you, thank you! It's all because of you! So, how are you and Ian? Has he charmed the pants off you yet?"_ Sienna giggled.

"No!"

"Yes!"

I turned around to stare at Ian who smirked and waved coyly at me with nothing but a towel on. I scowled, but it faded into a smile.

_"Oh my God, you slept with him! I need details please! Don't leave anything out!"_ Sienna pleaded and I tried to lower the volume on my phone in time so Ian wouldn't hear it but it was too late. I scooted into the kitchen, leaving Ian to get dressed while I continued speaking with Sienna.

"No, I did not sleep with him." I spoke firmly. "But, oh Sienna, there were candles and roses. It was so romantic." I sighed dreamily, remembering our time we spent together last night.

_"Wow, you really roped a good one. Can you find me one?"_ Sienna laughed.

"Ian just kinda grew on me." I smiled. I was so lucky to find him.

_"Aww, you two are too cute!"_ She gushed. _"So, what are you and the boyfriend doing today?"_

"We're going to a signing with Nina, Candice, Joseph and Zach."

_"Oh, well I'll let you go. Give them all my best."_ She said.

"Will do! Talk to you later, honey!" I hung up and went back into Ian's room to finished getting dressed. Ian was dressed very dapper, of course. He wore a pair of jeans and navy blue button down shirt. Very, very handsome my boyfriend is.

"How's Sienna?" Ian asked as I started getting dressed and putting my make up on.

"She's great! She'll be on the show next season!" I smiled.

"Yeah, I heard." He smirked and I wiggled my eyebrows at him.

* * *

><p>Ian and I were getting up at the site where we would be doing the signing and we said our hellos to Joseph, Nina, Candice and Zach. I hugged each of them tightly; it felt like a lifetime since I'd seen them. We were situated at a long table, almost like a dais, and I was sitting in between Ian and Joseph while Nina was at the front and Candice and Zach were at the end of the table. The fans started lining up with their memorabilia, cameras and permanent markers, ready to meet us.<p>

The first group moved up in line and the signing started without a hitch. Everyone was so excited to see us and we were just as excited. I had spent some time perfecting my signature and I was pretty psyched to try it out. Fans had all sorts of things for us to sign, like t-shirts, signs, posters, phones, books and even body parts. I signed some arms, hands and cheeks. I was surprised that some guys had shown up also. They were probably taking their little sisters but I think they were really here to see Nina, Candice and I. I mean, who wouldn't? We were hot! A couple of them even asked if we could kiss their cheeks. Somewhere around NYC, there were guys with lipstick marks on their faces. Fans took videos of us singing 'Happy Birthday' to their friends who couldn't make it as well.

"So, how did you guys like the season finale?" Ian asked a group of girls as he signed their posters and pictures.

"Oh my god, it was amazing! But even though Cassandra is going with Klaus, she still has to be with Damon!" One of them replied and Ian passed their things down to me, but not before squeezing my knee and smirking.

"I don't know. I like Cassandra and Klaus!" Another one smirked and Joseph and I busted out laughing.

"Oh, come on!" Ian pouted. "Traitor!"

"I like the sound of that, mate!" Joseph nudged my shoulder.

"I think Klaus needs some loving, but I don't think Cassandra will give it to him." I smirked and Joseph gave me a puppy dog face. "I think you and Ian are long lost brothers. The two of you have the same puppy dog face." They did the face at each other and started hysterical laughing along with the rest of the table. Joseph and Ian did a high five over me and I rolled my eyes. "Boys will be boys."

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, we had a break and I had gotten a call from Julie about doing some Season 3 promo work when we flew back to Atlanta. It wouldn't be for long, since I still had some of my vacation time to burn up. All of us were eager to get started and it would be mine and Joseph's first official season long run. We all went back outside, ready for the next groups when I saw someone in the line that made my stomach turn.<p>

Elizabeth.

Just when I was having fun, this girl had to show up! Joseph smiled, seeing her and I wanted to smack him. Sure, he probably liked her, but she was too busy staring at Ian. Why did she insist on going after Ian if she knew that we were an item? I guess I will never get an answer as she pushed through the line of fans all the way to the front. All of us frowned visibly at the fact that she could be so cruel, but there she was, dressed in some Calvin Klein getup with a huge smile on her face.

"Ciao, everyone!" She greeted with a wave and all of us gave some sort of mumbled reply. "Well, don't look so excited to see me. I brought some things for you to sign." She dropped a couple of things on the table and Nina just stared at it.

"You know, there is something called a line." I snapped and everyone at the table stared at me before Nina started giggling to herself. Elizabeth gave me a frown; I had successfully pissed her off. It serves her right; she should have to wait in line like everyone else. Elizabeth's eyes jumped between Nina, who was still trying to stifle her laughter, Ian, who was frowning along with Joseph, Candice and Zach and then finally landing on me. There was no way I was backing down from this, what's fair is fair.

"Fine." Elizabeth grumbled, taking her things in her arms and leaving the signing altogether. Some of the fans started clapping as the leggy model walked away and Nina and Candice winked at me. I smirked, but then looked at Ian who was still frowning. Shoot. I didn't want to make him angry by starting shit with one of his friends.

"Ian, I'm sorry if I was rude, but I was just speaking my peace." I said, hoping that he wasn't mad at me.

"No, you were right. She should wait like everyone here." Ian smiled at me and kissed my check. I wished that we weren't in public so he could give me a proper kiss since we were still on the down low about our relationship. Nina gave me a high five and the signing started up again. Some fans even thanked me for being a 'hero'.

Elizabeth: 0 Kate: 1

* * *

><p><strong>Hehe, oh Elizabeth...we'll be seeing some more of her. So, I hope everyone liked this one! Please review, follow my tumblr and lemme know what you'd like to see next!<strong>


	16. I Guess This Is What It Feels Like

**A looooooonnnnngggg overdue update for this story! I am beyond sorry for making you all wait so long, but please know that I love writing for you guys and I try to pour every ounce of myself into every chapter so it's amazing for you all to read!**

**Beta: HarleyQuinn88 - You deserve some kind of award! You are a wonderful beta and you erase any and all qualms I have with my own work. I seriously have the respect in the world for you and I don't know if I can thank you enough for editing my work :) You are kick ass, girl!**

**Tumblr: misswings . tumblr . com**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

* * *

><p>A few hours later and I think my smile muscles were all worn out. I must have posed for thousands of pictures. People were breaking down our table when Ian's phone buzzed with a text. I happened to look at it from behind my shades and saw that it was from Elizabeth. His phone vibrated a couple more times before ringing loudly with a call from her. Ian excused himself and I felt my stomach clench. I stood up for myself today and everyone praised me for it, but I hoped that Ian wouldn't think I was a complete bitch for telling Elizabeth off. Technically I didn't tell her off, I just told her to get back on line, but I still felt bad.<p>

"What's wrong?" Nina asked me.

"Nothing." I replied quickly.

"That's not nothing. I know something is up when you get really quiet." She stated. Damn, these people knew me too well.

"I just don't want his friendship with Elizabeth to be ruined after what I did today." I mumbled as I picked at a hanging piece of skin on my cuticle. Damn, nervous habits.

"Please, you'd be doing him a favor by getting rid of her!" Candice chimed in.

"But I feel bad...what do you think, Zach? Joseph?" I asked.

"I never liked that girl," Zach said. "She needed to be put in her place and I think you did that today."

"I agree with Zach." Joseph nodded. "I think no one wanted to stand up to her because we were concerned about Ian's feelings, but you did it in an appropriate way. Job well done, love." He winked and I blushed. With that accent, he can say anything and make it sound good. At least I felt better about the whole thing. I had my friends by my side and they promised to come to my defense if need be. I watched Ian pace outside while he was on the phone. He didn't look mad, which was good, but he didn't look happy either. Cue the nerves! I didn't know what I was feeling right now. I was filled with so many emotions as I just watched him. I love Ian so much and I didn't want to hurt him.

Hold on! There goes that love thing again. Gosh, maybe this is what it feels like. To want to stand by someone's side and look out for their feelings, to want to kiss them till their breathless and want them to do the same to you. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. This feeling was so new to me; I wanted to run from it because I was scared. I was so scared that it would swallow me whole and then chew me up and spit me out. But then again, I wanted to drown in it and soak it up. Man, I was one conflicted girl. I sighed and looked between my friends and they gave me comforting smiles.

"Talk to him." Nina squeezed my shoulders and I nodded before turning on my heel and walking over to Ian. He had just hung up the phone when he saw me open the door to the hall. I gave him a nervous shrug and smile, closing the door behind me.

"Hi," I greeted as calmly as possible.

"Hey," He said and stuffed his phone in the pocket of his jeans.

"Is everything okay?" I asked hesitantly.

"Elizabeth just called." Ian said and my stomach dropped again. "She–"

"Ian, I didn't mean to be a bitch, but she just pissed me off!" I blurted out. "What she did wasn't right."

"I know." He said.

"And another thing! She–" I suddenly stopped talking. He knew? "Wait, huh?"

"I know that what she did was wrong. You don't have to defend your actions." Ian spoke calmly and I stared at him.

"I just thought…that you would be mad at me." I mumbled and Ian shook his head.

"No way!" He chuckled as he took a couple of steps towards me. "How could I be mad at that face?" Ian pinched my cheek playfully and I laughed with him. "Seriously, talk to me. What's on your mind?" He cupped my cheeks and I stared into his stunning ice blue eyes.

"I didn't want to mess up your friendship with Elizabeth. I know that you two are friends, but I had to speak my mind. She just got me so mad and–" My rambling was cut off when Ian pressed his lips to mine and I suddenly lost track of what I was saying. It was a simple kiss, but I felt like he understood what I had said. Either that or he didn't want to hear my ranting anymore. He pulled back and I looked back at him before a little smile graced my lips.

"I know, Kate. I know." He said softly. Wait, what were we talking about again? Sorry, my mind is a puddle of mush. Lemme get a broom to clean it up. Ian was the only person who could just make me lose myself. "You don't have to apologize for it." All I could do was smile like a dumb idiot, but the ringing of my cell phone made me pout. Damn people always ruin my moments…I looked down at my text message and almost laughed out loud.

_Stop being cute with your boyfriend and come out to dinner with us! – Nina_

Oh, Nina. I shook my head, laughing it off and took Ian's hand. "C'mon, we're being ordered to stop being cute." I smirked.

"No," Ian pouted, sticking out his bottom lip and I rolled my eyes.

"It's Nina's orders. You know how she gets."

"Oh, don't I know it." He laughed and we traipsed outside to meet the rest of the crew.

* * *

><p>Dinner was held at a small, quiet restaurant on the Upper East Side and Julie joined us as well. I sat next to Ian, his hand was laced with mine and he rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand. I was overjoyed that things had gone over well before. Hopefully this means that I won't be seeing Elizabeth anymore. Although, I didn't think that it would be the case. If she has a thing for Ian, which I believe she does, she'd be back.<p>

"So, Julie, what's cooking for Season 3?" Candice asked excitedly and the entire table huddled closer to hear any juicy gossip.

"There will be a lot of conflict, tears, smiles, and laughter." Julie spoke and the rest of us grumbled.

"Oh, come on, Julie! Spill!" I groaned and everyone at the table cheered on as well.

"No, I'm not saying much. We're all still writing it." Julie stood her ground.

"I guess that means we have to put ideas in the suggestion box." I laughed and so did the rest of the table.

"Okay, I'll start, I vote for me running around naked." Ian suggested and I blushed bright red.

"With bubbles!" I blurted out without thinking. Uhm, Kate? Sweetie, we're not at home! I had to work on that. Nina immediately started hysterical laughing and I wanted to kick her under the table. Ian squeezed my thigh and I jumped a little.

"TMI, Ian!" Candice giggled.

"We actually have a shoot for Ian, Kate and Joseph tomorrow for some Season 3 promos." Julie said and I wanted to jump across the table and hug her. I loved working on the show and I was excited to do some couture shoots with my two favorite boys.

"I wanna hear some of that Klaus and Cassandra gossip." Nina announced as she nudged me and I gave her a smirk back.

"We've got a lot of things lined up, but nothing is definite." Julie started. I really admired Julie a lot. She was a tremendous part of the show and she spent hours upon hours writing and slaving over the show. I knew that she was thinking of something brilliant inside that mind of hers. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the material! "We have some ideas to explore Klaus's and Cassandra's relationship."

"So, they knew each other back then?" Zach asked curiously.

"It could be a possibility." Julie shrugged but she had that infamous smirk on her face. Damn, she knew exactly what she wanted, she just wasn't spilling.

"Oh, boo!" I crossed my arms over my chest. "You're no fun." The table chuckled and Ian slung his arm around my shoulder, kissing my temple.

"Well, I have to keep some secrets to myself." Julie winked at me.

"Will Klaus and Cassandra hook up?" Candice blurted out loud and I could see Joseph was blushing beat red. I was too since it is kind of awkward kissing other cast members, even more awkward for me since I'd be kissing Joseph when he and Ian were really good friends. I mean, kissing other actors was always very technical.

"Not right away." Julie shook her head and we giggled. "But, we will see more of their relationship that they've had over the years." My eyes widened at the idea. I think it would be cool to see Klaus in a different light since he's pretty much the bad guy on the show. Hmm, perhaps Cassandra fell in love with Klaus?

"Uh oh, Ian." Nina laughed. "Looks like Klaus is moving in on your girl."

"Tell him to take his best shot." Ian smirked confidently and kissed my temple.

* * *

><p>I was sitting in hair and makeup when my phone buzzed in my lap. It was so early in the morning, but it was specifically planned early so we could get out of the studio at a reasonable time. I waited for my make up girl to finish applying my eyeliner and then looked down at my phone.<p>

_You're beautiful 3 – Ian_

I smiled widely down at the screen, little butterflies jumped around in my stomach. Why was he so sweet? Where the hell did he come from? It was like he just dropped out of the sky and I was lucky enough to find him. I shot him back a quick reply, telling him that he was too adorable and that he should stop trying to charm my pants off. Although, I really didn't mind it at all. My phone vibrated again and I stole a quick look at it.

_You love it ;) – Ian_

He was such a cheeky bastard!

_Guilty as charged :-P_ I typed back and had to giggle to myself.

_Looks like I'll have to punish you later ;) – Ian_

"Miss Walker?" My head snapped up from my blackberry and I saw the director of the shoot patiently waiting in the doorframe.

"Oh, gosh." I mumbled, clearly embarrassed and trying to cover up my blush. I threw my phone in my bag and smoothed out my dark blue gown from wardrobe. "Let's get going." I smiled and he led me out onto set.

The idea of one of the shoots was to have myself and Joseph in a forest set. The crew had created one with trees, plants, stray leaves and dirt inside the studio and it looked really spooky. A couple of crew members were rigging up some lighting and fog machines when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Remember us?" A voice asked and I turned to see Will, the wolf trainer we had used for Season 2. On a leash by his side were Mila and another wolf. This one had fur as black as night and a pair of beautiful blue eyes.

"Will, it's so good to see you again!" I hugged him and bent down to greet Mila. I held out my hand and she sniffed it before giving it a lick. "Hi, beautiful," I smiled and eyed the other wolf who was sitting obediently. "Who is this?"

"This is King. He'll be Joseph's wolf today." Will replied. If Klaus was to actually turn into a wolf on the show, King would be perfect. His eyes were just like Joseph's and his fur was a shiny black coat that mirrored Klaus's dark intentions.

"Hello, King." The wolf licked its lips and bumped my hand. I gently pet his head and he nuzzled my cheek. Joseph and Ian had come over and I could see the light behind Ian's eyes at the wolves. If there was one thing I knew about Ian, it was that he had a passion and love for animals. That's why he started the Ian Somerhalder Foundation. I was beyond proud of him even though I wasn't there to be with him when he started it but I read about it on blogs. I heard some talk of a gala of some sort and my heart leaped at the thought of Ian in a tux. Mila nudge my shoulder as if to get me to stop daydreaming and I pet her while Joseph was rubbing behind King's ears.

Joseph and I walked onto our set with Will in tow with Mila and King. I sat down on the makeshift dirt and spread my dark gown around me. Will brought Mila to lay down beside with her belly on the ground but her chest and head were upright. I gently pet Mila's head and ran my hand down her body and she licked my cheek. She was a sweet wolf, but I did keep in mind that she was a wild animal and could bite my head off any second. The photographer took a few photos of me petting Mila and hugging her to me before bringing King in. The switched Mila out with King and had me lay down on the ground with my head propped up against a large tree root. Will positioned King to stand over me and Joseph was crouched beside his wolf. A couple of shots were done with King growling down at me and I was kinda scared shitless. King was a ruthless looking wolf and his loud growls made the ground vibrate. All in all, very scary but Joseph seemed to handle it with ease.

Nina and Paul showed up a little later for do some other promo shoots and we would also be doing some work for a Season 3 promo trailer. We were all dressed in dark colors and we moved to the set which was made up to look like a dark forest. There were a few lit candelabras, some fruits and wine along with a white frosted cake.

"Mmm, this all looks yummy." I laughed and licked my lips.

"You look yummy." Ian purred in my ear, pressing a kiss on my neck and I giggled like a little girl.

"You don't look too bad either." I smirked as I ran my hands over the lapel of his jacket. God, he looked so handsome. Then again, when doesn't he?

They filmed a couple of clips of Joseph, Paul and I standing and moving amongst the forest while Mila and King were by the sides of their respective characters. King walked in a couple of circles around Mila, trying to flirt and impress her but she growled. The same kind of scene was filmed with Joseph and I, he would walk around me, stalking me like how a predator would stalk its prey and I would just scowl at him. Ian was watching the shot while being in the character of Damon and he gritted his teeth. He moved in closer towards Joseph, clenching his fists at his sides and the two men squared off. Their eyes ran up and down each other's bodies in an effort to size each other up for competition. They both growled, showing off their fangs that were given to them by wardrobe and they looked even more threatening.

I then moved to sit beside Ian after he and Joseph finished their scene. I smiled at him, but looked at him with a sense of longing. My character was supposed to be gone for two months and for a vampire/hybrid, that felt like forever. I took a pear from the silver platter, biting into it and Ian watched me with his icy blue eyes. The juices of the fruit dribbled on my lips and down my chin and Ian licked his lips hungrily, wishing to clean the sweet juice of my skin but I had beaten him to it. Ian then plucked a cherry from the bowl, teasingly dangling it over my open mouth and I playfully snapped my teeth at it only to have it pulled away again. He let it drop into his own mouth and he smirked, raising his eyebrows at me as if to challenge me. I ran my hands up his chest, over his shoulders, and then grabbed the lapels of his jacket. I leaned my lips in closer to his, just inches away when I felt a rough tug at my curls. It made me hiss and turn to face Joseph who had his hand buried in my long locks. I glared threateningly at him and he just smirked, pulling me further away from Ian while giving him a possessive growl.

Nina sliced into the white cake only to find that the filling inside was thick red blood, or jelly. It sure looked convincing…I wanted to sneak a piece. Nina's face scrunched up at the blood that was dripping all over her fingers before dropping the piece of cake while Paul, Ian, Joseph and I all eyed the cake hungrily. After all, we were predators. I crawled towards the cake slowly, keeping my dark eyes on it. I picked up the piece that Nina dropped and brought it up to my lips, taking a bite. The white frosting and the red jelly was smeared on my lips and I licked some of it off before sucking my fingers into my mouth. I looked into the camera and parted my lips wide enough for the CGI fangs to fit and the director called cut.

"And cut! I think we got it!" The director shouted and the crew around us applauded. Ian kissed my cheek, slinging his arm over my shoulder and pulling me against him. A crew member handed me a towel to clean my face but Ian happened to lick a streak of frosting off my cheek. The playback of the clips looked positively haunting; some clips of me petting Mila were even used. I just couldn't wait till this aired.

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><p>Ian was deep in concentration as he read over his lines from Julie and Kevin. I had gotten my assignments as well, but I didn't want to dive back into reality yet. I was having way too much fun with Ian. I was anxious to start shooting season three, but I wanted to soak up all of my time here before going back to Atlanta. I was dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a comfy sweatshirt as I grabbed my script from the end table. I flipped through the pages; damn I had a lot of homework to do. I sunk into one of Ian's big arm chairs and started to read. It looked like Cassandra would be absent from Mystic Falls for 'The Birthday' episode since she was with Klaus. I was sad that I wouldn't be able to work with Ian as much, but it would also be nice to work with Joseph. He was such a talented actor and he even gave me a couple of pointers along the way. As I was reading, a naughty thought crossed my mind. I looked over my binder over at Ian and he didn't even notice that I was staring at him.<p>

I got up from the chair and put my book down before walking out of the living room and into Ian's bedroom. I closed the door behind me and tip toed over to his drawers. I quietly pulled the top one open and grabbed a black button-down shirt. I smirked widely and shrugged out of my sweatshirt and pants and slipped the shirt on me. I left my hair up in its messy bun. I took a quick glance at myself in the mirror and I had to admit that I looked sexy in Ian's clothes. Maybe I should wear them more often. My legs were bare and I unbuttoned the first two buttons so I was exposing a little bit of cleavage.

I walked out of Ian's room and his eyes snapped up to meet mine. His blue eyes twinkled, seeing me dressed in his shirt and I sat down innocently, folding my legs underneath me. We sat in silence for a little bit before I saw Ian get up. I looked at him over the edge of my binder and he wiggled his eyebrows at me. Ian made an exasperated sigh, gripping the hem of his shirt in his hands and lifting the fabric over his head. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head as they ran over the muscles of his chest and abs. I didn't really get to look at them last night and boy, was I making up for it now. Wow, he was literally perfect. I just wanted to lick over every inch of his skin.

"You okay over there?" Ian's teasing voice reached my ears and I looked up at him before burying my eyes back in my script.

"Mmhmm." I nodded quickly as I kept reading. Ian smirked and sat back down, but I just couldn't keep my eyes off him. He was just positively yummy. Ian looked rather smug as he continued to read so I decided that I wanted to up the ante a little bit. It was my turn to stand up and I took my curls out of the bun they were in. I shook them out around my shoulders and smirked at him, sitting down once again. Ian pursed his lips and stood up again, his hands toying with the button and zipper of his jeans. I bit my bottom lip tightly because the sound that would have come out of my lips wouldn't have been human. He popped the button open and slid the zipper down, giving me a peak of his black boxer-briefs. Ian quickly made work of his pants, tossing them on the chair behind him as he still remained standing. He gave me a challenging look so I stood up and took a couple of steps closer to him. My fingers reached up to tug the buttons of Ian's shirt out of the holes one by one until the entire shirt was unbuttoned. I spread both sides, the fabric skimming off my shoulders as I let it flutter to the ground in a heap.

Ian looked down my body, his eyes taking in everything about me, and the funny thing was…I wasn't scared anymore. I trusted Ian completely and I…I love him. My God, I love him. I knew that deep down in my heart that I loved Ian, but I was so scared that he didn't feel the same about me. Ian was everything I could ever want in a boyfriend and I loved him. I love him, I love him, I love him! I wanted to shout it out loud!

I stepped closer to Ian, his body heat warming my skin. I lifted my hands to rest them on his chest and Ian took my right hand, moving it over his skin until he pressed it over his heart. I felt it beating quickly underneath my palm and I looked up at him, my eyes shining brightly. He squeezed my hand gently and I moved our hands away to press a kiss over his heart. Ian breathed out, his chest deflating and rising with each breath he took. I pulled back and rubbed my thumb over the skin that my lips had just touched.

"Kate," My name sounded so sweet and melodic whenever he spoke it. My eyes flicked back up to his bright blue ones. I wanted him, I wanted him so much right now and I could see the lust in his eyes. He wanted me too. I cupped the back of his neck and brought his lips down to touch mine. Ian partially tensed since he wasn't used to me making any moves. This whole weekend, he had been the one initiating everything. I didn't mind it, but tonight I wanted to start this. My lips tugged at his bottom one until it was resting comfortably in between and I let my teeth nip at the skin. Ian sighed, holding me tightly at the hips as his fingers played over the waistband of my panties. Tonight, I wanted him more than I've ever wanted anything before in my life. He hooked his fingers in the sides of my panties and I wiggled my hips, making them slide down my legs and pooling on the floor. My hands shakily trailed down his perfect body to pull at his boxer-briefs. The tight material nearly stuck to his skin and I had to put in quite an effort to get them off him. Ian tugged me closer to him, our bodies meshed together and it felt heavenly. He was hard in all the right places while my curves dipped to meet his muscles.

My lips opened, allowing my tongue to snake with Ian's and one of his hands moved from my hips to cup the back of my neck. I felt Ian's cock throbbing against my belly and I snuck my hand between our meshed bodies. I wrapped my hand around him, gently stroking and Ian let out a hiss of pleasure against my lips. I couldn't help but smirk or feel empowered that I was able to make him turn to mush. I tightened my hand around him and pumped him a little faster while walking him backwards towards his bedroom. The backs of Ian's knees hit the arm chair and he unexpectedly fell, pulling me down with him. We gasped but ended up giggling and continuing our fun. Ian helped me situate myself in his lap while I nibbled at his jaw line. Ian breathed out a sigh and pulled away slightly. I looked back at him with confusion written on my face. Uh oh, this is what I feared. Did he not want to continue this? Did I do something wrong?

"What's wrong?" I panted as my forehead creased with worry. Ian looked up at me through his dark lashes, his eyes piercing into mine. My God, those eyes of his. At times they danced with amusement and laugher, other times they were filled with love and longing. Tonight, I really couldn't tell what was going through his head, but I was able to see it through his eyes.

"I love you, Kate."

I stared back at him in complete shock. Did those words really come out of his mouth? Woah…wait what? He loves me? He…he loves me!

"And it's because I love you, that I want everything to be perfect." I placed a finger on his lips to prevent him from saying more and he raised an eyebrow at me.

"It already is perfect." I whispered softly. "I don't need the candles or the music to make tonight perfect. I just need you." I caressed his stubbly cheeks, my thumbs stroking over the skin. "Ian, I love you."

There, I finally said it and I felt no shame. I was as naked as a jaybird, cradled in Ian's lap and I felt like I was on top of the world. I wouldn't have this moment any other way. Ian smiled (god I love that smile of his) and traced his index finger over the path of my lips.

"Are you sure?" He asked. His ice blue eyes still held little specks of trepidation. I gave him a trusting smile before pressing a kiss to his swollen lips.

"Make love to me, Ian." I breathed against his lips and Ian's mouth closed over mine. I moaned aloud, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. I felt Ian's hands cup the backs of my thighs, pulling them to rest on his hips before rising from the arm chair. I gasped from the sudden movement but clung to him tightly. He walked us to his bedroom and gently placed me down on the bed, hovering over me on his forearms so he wouldn't completely crush me. His lips moved feverishly over mine and I met him kiss for kiss and nibble for nibble. My body was trembling with nerves, I was anxious, but I felt ready at the same time. I couldn't explain it at all, but if I were to try, my thoughts would be a jumbled mess anyway. Ian kissed his way down my body and I arched to meet his soft lips but he suddenly stopped. He looked down at me and I could tell that he was nervous too.

"Ian," I called gently, bringing his face back so his eyes could meet mine.

"I don't want to hurt you, Kate." So that's what he was nervous about. I knew that a girl's first time can be painful and for a while it scared me, but I wasn't so afraid anymore. I actually thought that Ian was more nervous than me.

"It will hurt, but you're not hurting me. I'll be okay." I assured him. Why I was so brave I couldn't really tell you. "Please, I need you." I pleaded softly.

"Kate…"

I placed my finger over his lips. "Ian, I want you to be my first." I said passionately and Ian gently stroked my hair. Maybe I was jumping to conclusions, but I just wanted to live in this moment. Ian seemed to think it over for a moment before gripping his cock in his hand. He rubbed it up and down my dripping slit and I sighed at the feeling of our flesh being so close.

"Ready?" He asked me and I nodded. Ian pulled back before inching inside me. I gasped out, trapping my bottom lip between my teeth to not scream, but it hurt. It was an uncomfortable searing pain that spiked my lower regions. I felt as if I was being split in two. I was being stretched to my limit as I tried to accommodate his large girth. I didn't want to cry, but little tears escaped the corners of my eyes and ran down my cheeks. "It's over, Kate." Ian cooed in my ear, peppering little kisses along my skin and I nodded. He was very still inside me; he didn't move an inch for fear that he might hurt me more. I knew that the worst of it was over, so I waited until the pain subsided. It didn't take too long and I wiggled under Ian.

"Ian," I rasped and he cupped my cheek.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" His voice tinged with worry as he stroked my hair softly.

"I need you to move…just a little bit." I squeaked and Ian let out a sigh to know that I wasn't in pain anymore. Ian pulled his hips back, his length slipping from me for just a moment, and he pushed back in again. I let out a moan, it was still a little painful, but the friction between us felt good. "Keep going." I pleaded and he kept his slow pace of moving in and out of me. The pain was fading away and I could feel the pleasure of his movements start to coil deep in my belly. I met his thrusts as best as I could but I felt my walls twinge with little stings of pain. Ian's hands found my hips and he pulled them against him with each thrust to help me move with him.

"Are you alright?" Ian panted as he trailed one of his hands over my heaving breasts. I nodded, smiling since I was pretty sure that my vocal chords wouldn't work if I tried to use them. I gripped onto Ian's shoulders as he picked up his pace. His body moved against mine and I tried to meet his thrusts. He looked down at me and I smiled up at him, trying to make him feel at ease even though I was still feeling some pain. It was minimal but it was still there.

"I'm fine." I smiled as I cupped his cheeks, the light stubble felt rough but soothing underneath my fingers. I brought his lips down to mine and kissed him deeply. Our lips caressed one another's and his teeth caught my bottom lip, nibbling gently and I moaned aloud. How could this man make me feel so much pleasure at one time? He moved inside me with such care and the pain was soon beginning to melt away. I broke the kiss to let out a primal moan as I tightened my legs around his waist.

"You are so beautiful, Kate." He whispered against my neck and I buried my fingers in his hair, pulling with each thrust he pounded inside me.

"Oh god," My head thrashed back and forth on the mattress as I could suddenly feel a jolt of energy run up my spine. My walls were fluttering wildly around him and I knew I was close to exploding. I bit my lip, letting my eyes fall closed since I was practically seeing stars. "Fuck, I'm so…I'm so…" I couldn't even form simple sentences, it was impossible.

"Look at me." I heard Ian chanting in my ear and I slowly opened my eyes to see his blue ones staring down at me. His pupils were dilated and the blue in his eyes looked so much bluer. I'm pretty sure that I looked the same way but I couldn't give a damn.

"Ian," I panted wildly. I couldn't even form sentences anymore. I was way past the point of thinking coherently at the sensations I was feeling. My arms looped underneath his and my nails scratched at his strong muscular shoulders. Ian hissed above me, but it spurred him to thrust even faster inside me. "Yes, Ian. Please…please give me more!"

"Kate, look at me." Ian begged and my brown eyes stared into his blue ones. His hands cupped my face, his thumb brushing firmly over my bottom lip. "I love you, Kate." His forehead rested against mine as we continued to stare into one another. My heart swelled at the sincerity of his words. He loved me, he really loved me.

"I love to too, Ian." I moaned loudly and then it happened. I just couldn't hold it in any longer. I let myself go and found myself convulsing in Ian's arms. My orgasm violently ripped through my body and my walls squeezed Ian's cock relentlessly. I exploded around him and let out a loud string of moans and screams as I continued to orgasm around him.

"Fuck, Kate!" Ian's face screwed up in pleasure as he did a couple more quick thrusts and shot his essence deep inside me. Our juices mixed together, mixing inside me and I moaned at the incredible warmth between my legs. I laid my head against the mattress, panting in an effort to catch my breath. My eyes fluttered closed and my body was still lightly trembling from Ian's efforts. I felt his forehead press against mine and his lips moved tiredly over my swollen ones. I temporarily came out of my haze just long enough to realize that we hadn't used protection. I was on the pill, but I wanted to smack myself for not using a condom. Ian's teeth nibbling at my lips helped to toss that thought out the window. For now I just wanted to enjoy this moment and not worry about the real world. It seemed like everything around me was nonexistent as I opened my eyes and looked up at Ian. He still wore a look of concern, but I gave him a chaste kiss hoping to remove it.

"Hey, you." I whispered softly and smiled.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" He asked and I shook my head.

"No, Ian, everything was perfect." I kissed him again, this time, cupping his cheeks and he moved his lips over mine. "I love you." I repeated once we broke our kiss.

Ian's fingers stroked through some damp hair that was sticking to my forehead. "I love you too, Kate." Those four words were music to my ears and I smiled up at him. His lips met mine again and his arms encircled my waist as we indulged in the beauty of this very moment.

I guess this was what it feels like, to be in love.

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><p><strong>Phew! Lay it on me! Please leave a review and make me smile :)<strong>

**Also, please give me some ideas on what you'd like to see in this story. I kinda run out of ideas, but hopefully some material from Season 3 will give me some ideas, but I'd love to hear from my lovely readers :D**


	17. Here I Am Alive

**Hello lovelies :) I apologize for the slow updates, but classes started this week and I will try to keep updating as soon as I can. I also bought two little bunnies so they are quite a handful! My little babies are on tumblr so keep a look out for them :D**

**Thank you so much for the incredible reviews! I read and love every single one of them!**

**Beta: currently un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

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><p>It was the firm pitter patter of rain falling on the window that roused me from my very peaceful sleep. I peered out the window to see dark clouds in the sky and heard a roll of thunder in the distance. I felt a warm body next to me and I smiled down at Ian who was still asleep. I can't believe that I had made love to his man last night. I gave my soul for him and gave up my virginity. I didn't regret it one bit. Everything was positively perfect! I was happy and I felt different. I felt more like a woman than a girl. Ian's arms were wrapped tightly around me and I had to wiggle out of his grip to check the clock.<p>

_2:47pm_

Shit, we know how to sleep late like it's no one's business. Oh well, we deserved it. We didn't exactly stop after round one last night. We kept going at it until we just collapsed from complete and utter exhaustion. I stretched my body and frowned at the soreness in my muscles, but it was nothing a good massage couldn't fix. Ian moaned quietly in his sleep, turning over onto his stomach and the sheets tangled tantalizingly low over his lower body. That gorgeous ass of his was covered up just so, but that didn't mean it couldn't make me salivate. He breathed gently and my eyes wandered up from his ass to trail over his back to see some red scratches on his shoulders. Jeez, I didn't think I was that rough with him. The scratches were somewhat faint, but they were noticeable. Moving closer, I could see some crescent shaped marks from where I dug my nails in too hard. I ghosted the tips of my fingertips over the damage I had caused and heard Ian grunt. I hope I hadn't hurt him too badly.

I sighed; we had to get up and out of bed sooner or later. We had to pack since we'd be heading back to Atlanta to shoot later today. Not to mention we had to learn our lines, since our study group last night was…ehm, interrupted. Damn, why was this bed so comfortable!

"Ian," I leaned over and kissed were I had scratched him. "Ian, we have to get up." I said softly and he turned over, groaning something about 'five more minutes', but he needed to get up. Ian pulled a pillow over his head and I gripped it tightly, trying to yank it from his grip but he quickly tackled me down to the bed and pressed his lips to mine. I gasped, squealing slightly but ended up going along with the kiss. My arms laced around his neck as he nibbled on my bottom lip before pulling back.

"Good morning." He smiled down at me.

"You were awake this whole time?" I asked him incredulously and he chuckled.

"Nah, I was up for a couple of minutes." Ian kissed my temple and I ran a hand over his back. He flinched a little and I pouted.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

Ian shook his head, running a hand through my messy curls. "I'm fine." He kissed me softly. "You worry too much."

"No! I worry exactly the right amount!" I protested as I leaned up, the blanket falling from my body. I blushed and moved to cover myself up but Ian's hands gripped my wrists.

"You're not hiding from me again, Miss Walker." Ian smirked and pushed me down to the bed. He hovered over me before kissing down my body, making me shiver all over again.

"Mr. Somerhalder, you're making me blush." I sighed as his tongue flicked in and out of my belly button. If he started this now, we wouldn't be leaving this bed all day.

Ian gently bit at my hips, his teeth on my skin made my body tremble. "You have the most gorgeous body. You shouldn't hide it at all." He moaned.

"That compliment is coming from a guy who has the body of a Greek god." I panted while his hands skimmed up and down my sides. His touches suddenly stopped and I looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. Ian's troubled blue eye ran over some light bruises and scratches on my hips.

"Does it hurt?" He asked worriedly as his fingers prodded the marks.

"No, I'm fine." I said but Ian didn't look convinced. I combed through his hair, making his eyes snap up to meet mine. "I'm okay, Ian." I smiled and he slowly crawled up my body. He had sort of a predatory grin on his lips as his sinful body rested atop mine.

"I love you." Ian whispered against my lips and my stomach flipped.

I gave him a sweet kiss, my lips smiling against his. "I love you too." It felt so good to finally say it out loud. It felt even better to hear it. "So, back to work on Monday?" I said and Ian groaned.

"Mmhmm. I was enjoying this vacation." Ian kissed under my chin a couple of times and I giggled.

"Me too." I smiled at him and our lovely morning was ruined by my phone vibrating from the bedside table. I growled and leaned over, gripping my phone and scrolling through the texts. I really didn't want to hear from anyone but my alerts on my phone were mainly tweets from my fans. I had to say, I had a lot of followers and I loved hearing from such dedicated fans. I tried to reply to as many as I could but it quickly became impossible. I felt Ian's lips at my shoulder and I squirmed playfully. "No, Ian, come on! We have to pack!" I protested and got out of bed, trying to get dressed.

"Nooo," He pouted and I giggled at him, taking one of his button down shirts from his dresser and sliding my arms in the sleeves. I could see Ian's eyes glaze over as I traipsed around in his clothes. I buttoned the shirt, leaving the first two open and pranced to the bathroom. I stared back at my reflection as I pulled my hair up and clipped it off my face. I didn't think I looked too different. I mean, my make up was smudged, my hair was a little crazy, but other than that I looked fine. I smiled at my reflection and started to get ready for the day ahead of me when Ian sauntered into the bathroom and stood behind me. He was sporting a smug smirk, and that was it. His baby blues wandered up and down my body before meeting my eyes in the mirror. Ian hugged me from behind, pulling my body close to his and sighed quietly.

"Hi." I smiled.

"Hey," He kissed my ear and I suppressed the urge to shiver. "What's on your mind?"

_Hmm, what is going through this crazy mind of mine? That's a loaded question._

"Just enjoying my morning." I said simply as Ian's lips caressed up and down the column of my neck. "How about you? What's going through your head?"

Ian's hands found the buttons of his shirt and started to slowly unbutton them, all the while keeping his eyes on mine in the mirror. "You."

That one simple word made little butterflies flit around in my stomach. If he said or did anything else to make my heart rate spike, I might just hiccup a few. The shirt was now unbuttoned and the tips of Ian's fingers ran over my belly and hips. Goose bumps prickled over my skin along with a heat that warmed me throughout. Ian suckled my neck, gently nibbling and my hands tightened on the edge of the bathroom counter. My knuckles turned white as Ian hissed and bit me, much like how Damon would bite Cassandra, and my stomach twisted in knots as I felt myself getting wetter with each motion Ian made. I arched my back, reaching one of my hands back to thread through Ian's hair at the back of his neck. Ian cupped my breasts, gently squeezing and kneading them till I was a whimpering mess in his arms. His lips found my shoulder and I jumped when he bit down, yanking at his hair. He growled in my ear and returned the favor, taking the clip from my hair and lightly pulling. God, I was so turned on and he didn't even get to the good part yet! I was rubbing my backside against him, brushing against his stiff cock and he groaned slightly.

"Still wanna pack?" He smirked and I shook my head. All I wanted him to do was rip this shirt off me and take me again right against the bathroom counter.

"Kiss me," I whimpered and Ian crushed his lips to mine. This kiss was rough and passionate as opposed to the tender one we shared last night. I enjoyed every second of it! His stubble rubbed against my cheeks and chin as his lips moved hurriedly over mine. I moaned into the kiss, my body turning in his grip to face him, allowing me to access his lips better. My nails scratched over his shoulder and his scalp and Ian hoisted me up onto the counter. My legs wrapped around his waist and Ian eased the shirt off me. I purred when his warm hands ran all over my body and I felt his confined cock press up against my naked core. "Ian," I begged with every aching cell in my body for him to finish this. He suddenly stopped kissing me and stared down into my eyes. I panted and craned my lips up to kiss him again but he stopped me. I raised an eyebrow at him, curious to why he stopped but he didn't answer me as he pulled on his button down shirt.

"What? I wanted to wear this shirt today." Ian chuckled as I glared at him. He buttoned the shirt nonchalantly and I just pouted at him. Damn, tease. "Don't pout, gorgeous."

"I'll pout as long as I want to." I crossed my arms across my chest and pursed my lips.

"Although," Ian drawled as he stepped closer to me. "You do look adorable when you pout." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I couldn't help but giggle.

"I look even more adorable in your shirt." I laughed and laced my arms around his neck, kissing him. Ian growled playfully and bit my lower lip as he suddenly picked me up and walked us back to his bedroom. I clung to him as he dropped us onto the bed but we didn't enjoy our time for long as my phone started to ring. I reached for it and Ian moved his lips over my collarbone.

"Hello?"

"_Where are you?"_ Nina's voice made the two of them inwardly groan.

"I'm packing." I giggled as Ian nibbled my skin. "Why?"

"_You're packing? You're late!"_ Nina shrieked and we turned our eyes to the clock and panicked.

"Shit!" We both leapt off the bed and threw on clothes. "We're gonna miss the flight!"

"_Is that Ian with you?"_ Nina asked with a little amusement in her voice. _"Did you two have a sleepover?"_ She smirked and I wanted to pummel her for making a joke at my expense.

I jumped into my jeans while still keeping the phone in my hands as I continued to put on other clothes. "Oh, shut up, you!" I huffed.

"_Oh, come on! You knew we had this flight and I'm waiting at the airport for you."_ She reasoned. _"Hurry up! We're all waiting for you!"_

"We're coming, Nina!" Ian yelled as he buttoned his jeans.

"_I knew it!"_ Nina shouted. _"Oh…I mean, hi Ian!"_ She smiled and I promptly hung up the phone. I ran to my closet and threw whatever clothes I had into my suitcase and Ian did the same.

"Dammit, we _would_ miss the flight!"

"Just keep packing!"

Needless to say we showed up at the airport just in time, but not before speeding down the streets, bolting through the airport and arriving at the gate. In the mess of everything, our hair was tousled, our clothes were disheveled and I was somehow wearing Ian's sunglasses and fedora. We received little snickers and giggles from the group that was waiting for us and I couldn't do anything but try to catch my breath.

"Slept late?" Nina grinned as she took in our appearances. I grumbled some kind of reply that no one could hear and that made Nina put a hand up to her ear, "You wanna repeat that? I didn't hear you." She joked and I looked back at Nina, moving my shades down my face and uttered two very simple words.

"Fuck you."

* * *

><p>It felt beyond surreal to be back on set again! It was like I never left! It was good to see everyone, cast and crew included, and I was more than happy to start working on Season 3. Sienna was there as well and she had this complete look of horror on her face as she read through her lines. I could only imagine that I sported the same face when I first started filming. Ian ran lines with her since he was in her first scene on the show and she looked a little more comfortable. I introduced her to everyone and they welcomed her with open arms. Sienna's character, Vanessa, would be a vampire that Klaus turned when she was a little girl. He had wanted to make her into a hybrid, but he kept her as a vampire. Vanessa would become Cassandra's friend and all of this information would be explained through dialogue and flashbacks throughout Season 3.<p>

I stood off set while Sienna did her scene with Ian in the Grill and I couldn't help but get all emotional. Sienna and I had become really good friends and I kept in touch with her while we filmed the rest of Season 2. She was a special young lady and I already deemed her as my second younger sister. Her cancer was still in remission, I was thankful for that and she was trying to grow her hair out longer. The hair and makeup department debated whether or not to keep Sienna's hair short but they ultimately decided to have Sienna with long flowing blonde hair. She showed hair and makeup her wig and they approved, but gave her a brand new wig, a sort of 'Welcome to the show' gift.

Being able to work with Joseph again was such a treat! We were happy to work together since it would be our first full season as regulars. We grew quite close within filming the first set of scenes. Cassandra was meant to hate Klaus, but I found it hard to hate Joseph. It sucked not to be doing scenes with Ian, but we got to spend some time in between shooting, so I was thankful for that. I did miss talking with him and having him nudge me while we were waiting to be set or joking while having our microphones put on. Although, whenever Joseph and I were doing scenes, I would see Ian trying to blow kisses to me. I would blush and shake my head, smiling all the way.

"So…" Nina drawled as we sat in my dressing room. Everyone else was working and this was the only time I had to highlight my lines since Joseph was working his scenes with Paul. "How was it?" She asked and my eyes left the page I was reading.

"How was what?" I raised an eyebrow. I hadn't told anyone about Ian and I sleeping together, no offense, I didn't need tabloids beating down my dressing room door.

"Your break? How was it?" She rephrased and I smiled.

"Oh, it was nice." I replied simply and I went back to highlighting. "How was yours?"

"Very relaxing!" Nina smiled. "But, I have to get my wisdom teeth taken out."

I frowned and so did she. "What? Oh, Nina, that sucks! When?"

"Sometime around Thanksgiving." She pouted.

"I had mine taken out already. It's not bad as long as the pain meds are nice and strong." I giggled. "Wait, Thanksgiving? Isn't that cruel and unusual punishment?" How could you perform oral surgery on someone around Thanksgiving time? My stomach grumbled at the thought of my Nonna's Thanksgiving dinner. Man, how many days till I get to pig out?

"Seriously, right?" She laughed. "But they're already impacted and starting to hurt, so they have to get taken out as soon as possible."

"I'll bring you ice cream!" I smiled. "You'll feel better when it's all finished and you'll never have to go through it again."

Nina nodded. "I guess. I just hate the whole idea of it."

"You'll be asleep the whole time. I'll come with you if you want." I offered and Nina hugged me.

"Thanks." She smiled.

"Just think, I'll be the one to take videos of you when you're out of it." I quipped and she made a face at me. "I'll have my iPhone ready."

"You do that." Nina grumbled. "Oh, I saw you and Ian on Jimmy Fallon! You two were so cute!"

"Yeah? You think so?" I asked awkwardly. I was waiting for Nina to start asking the tough questions.

"What's up with you? You've been really weird since you got back." She scooted closer to me and I suddenly felt like highlighting my lines was more important. Just as I put the highlighter down to the paper, Nina smacked it out of my hands and took my script from me.

"Hey!"

"That's what I mean. What's wrong, Kate? Please, tell me. We're friends and I thought friends tell each other things." Nina said and I looked back at her.

"It's just…Ian and I–"

"Broke up?!" She exclaimed.

"SHH! No, we didn't break up…we, uhm…" I trailed off and I could see the gears turning in Nina's head. "We…slept together." I finished and Nina's expression was unreadable. Was she happy? Was she angry?

"No way!" She hushed with a smile and then I nodded. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"What was I going to say? Oh, hey, Neens! Just letting you know, I slept with Ian!" I waved my hands around in the air.

"Well…no, but now I know!" She smirked.

"I just didn't want it in the tabloids and gossip magazines, ya know?" I said.

Nina nodded, "I can understand that. But, honey, they'll gossip either way."

"I know they will. I hate it so much!"

"Who doesn't?" She shrugged. "So, spill! How was it?"

"Nina," I groaned.

"Like, did you two plan it?" Nina asked quietly.

"No, it just happened." I smiled as I recalled the night we spent together. "I love him, Nina."

Her eyes lit up and she smiled, covering her mouth and squealing like a little girl. "You said the 'L' word!" She bounced around happily and I giggled. "I am so proud of you!"

"For losing my virginity?" I raised an eyebrow at her and Nina smacked my arm.

"You know what I mean!"

* * *

><p>"Will you stop fidgeting?" Ian grumbled.<p>

"I've never done a red carpet before! So, sue me if I'm a little nervous!" I fought as Ian tried to hold my hands to stop me from picking my cuticles. Hey! I had a right to be nervous! Ian, Paul, Nina and I were presenters at the Teen Choice Awards! This was something I had only dreamed about but now it was a reality – much like how my whole life on the show has gone so far.

"Don't worry about it!" Nina consoled. "Red carpets are fun!"

"And if you do anything stupid…"

"Thanks Paul," I grimaced and smacked the back of his head.

"Ow! Don't touch the hair!" He groaned.

Stepping out of the limo, we were greeted with flashing cameras, screaming fans, and eager interviewers who were just itching to get the latest gossip. The four of us made our way down the carpet, stopping to take pictures, sign autographs, and say hello to fans.

"Hey! Hey, Kate!"

"Over here, Kate!"

"Look right here! Beautiful!"

"Kate, what designer are you wearing?"

Photogs bugged me to pose for them, hoping to get the perfect shot while commentators wanted to know the lucky designer who I had picked to represent their clothing. It was very loud – beyond loud and very chaotic. At times I couldn't even hear myself think, but at the same time, I felt like a rock star. It was a very glamorous feeling and I was just soaking it up. Since the Teen Choice Awards wasn't a formal awards ceremony, I was rocking a one-shoulder, coral cocktail dress with nude pumps and a large gold bangle. My hair was done up in curls, but tied into a pony tail and it swished whenever I walked. The four of us were then split up to stand in front of a 'Teen Choice Awards' background where the photographers could take some individual shots of us. Ian, Nina, and Paul went before me and I was the last to go. It was beyond nerve-wracking just standing there while cameras flashed in your face, but I had to pull it off. Nina and I had practiced our poses, so I managed to strike each one. Hmm, if this Vampire Diaries show happens to fall through, maybe I'll be a model.

I was then quickly whisked away to some interviewers on the carpet while Ian, Nina and Paul were doing the same. I played with my bangle nervously but I caught Ian's eye as he was speaking with someone from E! News. I gave him a cheeky smile, trying to hide my nerves, but I knew that he could see right through me. He gave me a sly wink and blew a kiss to me to which I replied back with a wave.

"Well, Kate, I must say that you look absolutely gorgeous!" The interviewer gushed.

"Thank you very much!" I replied.

"Now, this is your first red carpet event?" She asked and I nodded simply. "How are you enjoying it so far?"

"I'm really enjoying myself! I'm here with Nina, Paul, and Ian, so they gave me some tips on having the proper red carpet etiquette." I joked.

"So, the fans are very anxious to see what will be happening in Season 3 of The Vampire Diaries. Can you give us any juicy details?"

"Lots of blood and flashbacks!" I smiled. I was going to say blood and sex, but I don't think that would be appropriate for the Teen Choice Awards. Julie, Joseph and I had gotten to talking about expanding the relationship between Klaus and Cassandra as the season progressed. The both of us were on board with it and started working with the acting coaches and writers to see exactly what they had envisioned. This would completely turn Damon and Cassandra's relationship into a love triangle between Damon, Cassandra, and Klaus.

But…I wasn't going to give it all away – I wanted the fans to really be surprised.

* * *

><p>After the red carpet, we were led to the backstage area where they fixed our make-up and hair before having us walk onto the stage. The fans were jumping and screaming, reaching to touch us and I bent down to shake some of their hands.<p>

"Hiii," Ian drawled into the microphone and I was pretty positive that every set of ovaries in the audience exploded. The girls in the audience applauded for him while Paul, Nina, and I looked around, waving to the crowd.

"Ian," Paul called. "How come every time you do that all the girls freak out?" He asked causing the audience to scream for Ian who just stood there and smirked.

"Well, Paul, because I know how to talk to a woman in a romantic way." Ian explained. "Right? You just have to look at her make her feel like she's the only woman in the room." He finished and I had to agree that Ian had that God-given gift. "If your character, Stefan, would know how to do that…"

"Wait, what?" Paul asked incredulously and Ian shrugged. "Are you trying to say that…?"

"I'm just saying that Damon knows how to talk to Cassandra like she's the only woman in his life." Ian smirked, slipping an arm around my waist.

"Hey, listen, I do a great job at what I do and I don't appreciate that you…"

"Boys, boys!" Nina and I called and they both stopped their bickering.

"Jeez! These men and their competitions." Nina bellyached.

"I know, right?" I replied. "Besides, if things don't work out with Stefan, I think Matt has a good shot to be with Elena." I smirked and the audience laughed while Paul's face was one of horror.

"What?" Paul placed a hand over his heart, pretending to be wounded while Ian laughed.

"Well, I think Cassandra and Klaus would be hot together." Nina winked at me and it was Ian's turn to frown.

"You think so?" I asked Nina innocently and she nodded at me.

"Oh, no, no, no! You've gotta be kidding me!" Ian grumbled.

"Alright, let's just drop this act 'cause you two men are both bad." Nina joked.

"You guys should definitely take a few lessons from this year's nominees." I introduced and the house lights dimmed so the audience could see the televisions that flashed the names of the nominees. Ian pulled me close, his hand around my waist and I kissed his cheek. Even though we were in a relationship, we both agreed that we wanted to keep our relationship quiet. For now, it was just easier; however it was annoying to constantly get asked if we were going out. We'd play coy about it and that would be the end of it. The clip ended and the lights came on once more.

I stepped up to the mic and held the envelope in my hands. "And the award goes to…" I ripped open the paper, reading the name off. "Ashton Kutcher!" We all yelled in unison. Ashton came up to accept his award and had the entire audience singing the chorus to Katy Perry's _Teenage Dream_. We were ushered off the stage and into the audience where we sat to enjoy the rest of the show. Nina ad I sat next to each other and the boys sat behind us. I tried to take some photos with Nina, but Ian and Paul kept photo bombing them. I decided to take a photo by myself – hey! I was at the Teen Choice Awards and I looked hot! I might as well live it up! I was ready to take the picture when Ian unexpectedly leaned forward and kissed my cheek. The photo snapped and I gave him a coy smirk for ruining my picture. He just smirked back at me, that damn classic smirk of his. I looked at the photo and smiled widely – we looked really cute. It was one of those photos where if I tried to take it again, I wouldn't be able too. It was beyond perfect! I turned my eyes back to the stage and just sat back in my seat, taking in everything around me. My world has completely changed and it was just incredible to me that I was living the dream that nearly every little girl wanted to live. I took a moment to thank whatever forces were in the universe that had gotten me here.

Life certainly was looking up for me – and I sure as hell wasn't looking down!

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed everyone! Please review :D<strong>


	18. Season Three

**Hello my lovely readers! Hope you're all having a great weekend! Getting this update out to you before finals get really crazy! Thanks so much for the amazing love and support! Please review :)**

**Beta:**** currently un-beta'd**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

* * *

><p>"So, Joseph, what is it like working with Kate Walker?" Candice held up her hairbrush to Joseph, wiggling it around. The other hand held her iPhone which was currently recording their mock interview.<p>

"Well, she likes to hit me." He chuckled, speaking into the makeshift microphone.

"That was an accident!" I yelled from my make up chair.

"I hear she is notorious for beating up cast members." The blonde scowled playfully. "I even heard she hit Ian. Can you confirm this?"

Joseph took the hairbrush in his hands and gave a serious stare into the camera. "Yes, it is true."

"That's it!" By this time I was out of my make up chair and down the hall in Candice's dressing room. I snatched the brush from Joseph and was now leaned over him in an effort to grab Candice's phone.

You may ask why these two bums are making a fake interview about me. Well, we were filming _'The Birthday'_ episode and you know when Klaus tries to lure that girl to invite him in? Okay, so Klaus decides that to make his performance more convincing, he kisses Cassandra. After that, when Klaus and Cassandra are leaving the house so Stefan can do his dirty work, Cassandra punches Klaus. So…I accidentally punched Joseph a little too hard. It wasn't my fault, I swear! We had done a couple takes of it and Julie kept telling me that my punch didn't look like I meant it. So, on the next take, I swung my fist back and really hit him. Hence, the ridiculous accusations being made against me that I beat up my cast mates.

"Joseph, save me! She's gonna go after me next!" Candice squealed as she ran with the iPhone. We chased each other around the room while Joseph was in stitches in the corner. I know that the same situation happened with Ian and me in Season 2, but that was an accident too! I was just about to catch Candice, when Ian's arms wrapped around my waist, catching me instead.

"What is going on here?" He asked suspiciously as he swung me up on his shoulder.

"Those two! They are spreading rumors about me!" I pointed my finger at the culprits and wiggled around on Ian's shoulder.

Joseph and Candice were too busy trying to stifle their laughter but they were losing it. "We-we just need stuff for the behind the scenes videos." Candice finally spit out when she had enough air back in her lungs.

"The fans don't need to know everything!" I fought and Ian just chuckled.

"Oh, did you get on there that she hit me back in Season 2?" My boyfriend asked and groaned.

"That's it! Put me down, you caveman!" I squirmed but Ian held me tight. "You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I am, but you hit hard." Ian smirked and turned to carry me out.

"Wait, no, Ian!" I whined and tried to turn over my shoulder to look at Joseph and Candice who were still giggling. "And you two! I'm not done with you yet!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Candice waved me off, but I'd get her little blonde butt back.

Guess who got pepper in their blood later that day.

* * *

><p>"I'm really liking this flapper dress." I giggled as I shook my hips, making the tassels shake.<p>

"You look fabulous." Claire smiled.

Claire Holt had come onto the show right as we started filming Season 3. She would play Rebekah, Klaus's bratty little sister; however Claire was far from a brat. She was quirky like Nina and Candice and we all loved messing around with the boys on the set, especially Joseph. I actually think that Claire had a little crush on him. She would blush and play with her hair whenever he was around and she would giggle at all of his corny jokes.

The 1920's speakeasy set was absolutely breathtaking. Every little detail was perfected and the costumes were beautiful and authentic. It was like we were stepping back in time and we were a part of all of the glamour and glitz of the Roaring Twenties. Lots of extras were cast and a bunch of the main cast got to do on set interviews with .

"Wow! This set is something else!"

"Isn't it amazing? The crew and set design people have really outdone themselves."

I was sitting with Kimberly in the middle of the speakeasy for our interview in my flapper dress. I had just finished filming some flashback scenes with Paul, Joseph, and Claire. Now the show was getting tricky since…well, I'll let you read the interview.

"So, in the promo for the _'End of the _Affair' episode, Cassandra seems very angry with Klaus. Can you give us any kind of insight as to why this might be?" Kim asked.

"Well, Klaus has been keeping a secret. A big secret. And Cassandra isn't happy with him that he's been keeping it from her." I replied vaguely. The secret was that Klaus had compelled Cassandra to forget him whenever they met. Ever since Bonnie did the spell on her in season two, bits and pieces of her memories have been coming back, but they almost have to be triggered. When Cassandra is in Gloria's bar, she is looking at some old pictures and her memories come back.

"Klaus is infamous for his secrets." She giggled. "It looks like the tension between Klaus and Damon is getting a lot thicker."

"Well, it will certainly continue to get more in depth as the episodes keep coming. It all has to do with Klaus's secret that he's keeping from Cassandra and from Stefan too."

"Apparently Damon and Elena will try saving the day for their significant others too." Kim smiled.

"Damon is always trying to save the day and Elena too. They make for good friends because when they care for someone, they'll do anything to help them." I nodded.

"When will they all be reunited again?" She asked excitedly.

"Hopefully soon! It's hard to communicate the feeling of Cassandra longing for Damon because we know that they love each other so much and it's difficult to see them apart. It's the same thing for Stefan and Elena too." I said. I also wanted to get back to working with Ian on set, but she didn't need to know that. I missed doing scenes with my hunky boyfriend. "It's like each time they see each other, they're getting closer to being together."

"Well, the fans certainly miss them all together. Now, I have a lot of questions from the fans and pretty much all of the questions have to do with Klaus and Cassandra. Some people love it, some people hate it. What's your feeling on the whole idea?"

"I think that Klaus is a misunderstood character." I stated. "There are layers to him and sides to him that we haven't seen and I think in season 3, we'll get to see some of these sides. At least I hope so."

"Well, we can't wait to see the upcoming episodes and thank you so much for letting us talk with you." Kim was a great reporter, I had dealt with her many times and I loved her a lot.

"Oh, please, thank you so much for coming. I love it when you guys interview me. I don't feel like I'm working." I smiled brightly.

Kim clicked off her video camera and packed it away. "I don't feel like I'm working when I come here too! You guys are the best to interview. You're all so nice and sweet."

"Well, we're just a bunch of vampires." I joked.

* * *

><p>"What are you..." My speech was stopped as a slim finger pressed against my lips. I looked up at him curiously, but he didn't take notice to it. His finger trailed softly over my lips and down my neck until it stroked back and forth over my collarbone. He hooked his finger inside the collar of my shirt and pulled it down slightly to see that my skin was burned.<p>

"What happened here?" His husky voice sent shivers down my spine. I turned my head away from his scrutinizing eyes, but a hand at my chin guided my eyes back to meet his. My breathing was labored and my heart thudded loudly in my chest as his lips inched closer to mine.

"Cut! Tony! The lighting isn't right! It's gotta be fixed." A couple of the lighting guys immediately jumped in and started working.

Joseph and I groaned inwardly that we'd have to do this scene all over again. I guess this was a downside about being in the television biz.

"Jeez! What the hell? That was our best take and they stop." I bellyached.

"Well, I don't know if it was your best. You weren't on your mark." Joseph chuckled and I looked down at the floor to check. "Made you look!"

I playfully shoved him. "Asshole!"

"And your microphone is hanging." Once again I looked down, but my microphone was clipped perfectly in place, no wires hanging or anything.

"God! Why are you so mean?" I whined and smacked his arm.

"It's entertaining watching you get riled up." He smiled.

I crossed my arms across my chest and glared at him. "You're not funny."

"Alright! Let's try this again!" The director called and Joseph and I got back into our spots.

"Don't mess this up!" I joked and Joseph winked playfully at me.

* * *

><p>"<em>Folks, you guys have got to see this! Here we have a photo of Kate Walker and Joseph Morgan from their hit TV series The Vampire Diaries locked in a passionate kiss. A source says that this promo shoot is from an episode that will be recently aired and by the looks of it, both actors seem very comfortable. I wonder what Ian has to say about this."<em>

"_It's rumored that, Vampire Diaries stars Kate Walker and Joseph Morgan will be having more screen time on set. A steamy romance between the two will put quite a wedge between Damon and Cassandra. Most fans are pro 'Dassandra' but lots of fans are converting to 'Klassandra'. Who will win the ship war?"_

"_It's not easy being a girl that's stuck between two sets of fangs. Kate Walker, who plays Cassandra Emerson on the Vampire Diaries, says that anything can happen in season 3 between the two relationships. Damon and Cassandra have been going strong, but will feelings for Klaus emerge and threaten to tear the infamous pair apart? Keep watching the Vampire Diaries on the CW on Thursday's at 8pm to find out!"_

"I don't think I've ever read so many rumor columns in my life!" I threw down yet another magazine article about the show.

"Seriously! People just like running their mouths!" Katerina picked up one and started reading it.

"At least it's good for the show." Nina shrugged and fiddled with her hair that was up in a high bun. We were all lounging in our pj's in Nina's dressing room. We had some time to ourselves since we had gotten to set a little early.

"Yeah, I guess." I added and took a spoonful of my yogurt. "Man, I can't wait to be on break and eat real food."

"Oh my god! It's not fair that we have to eat healthy all the time." Candice whined.

"You know what's not fair?" I leaned up and twirled my spoon around. "The cookies in the Craft Food Service truck."

All of the girls groaned. "Oh, I know! Those cookies are just too good!" Nina patted her stomach. "I can put away a whole truck load of them."

"I stashed some in my purse." I admitted sheepishly and the rest of the girls looked at me. "What? They're really yummy!"

Candice, Nina, and Katerina looked between one another. "I did too." Nina said.

"Me too." The blonde nodded.

"Guilty." Katerina sighed.

We all chuckled a little as we heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Our eyes looked in the doorway to see Claire coming inside with a half eaten chocolate chip cookie in her hand. She stopped in her tracks seeing all of us staring at her and she swallowed the piece of cookie in her mouth. "Don't tell Julie." She murmured and we all cracked up laughing.

"How did you sneak a cookie?" Candice's mouth was literally watering.

"Joseph stole one for me." The blonde giggled and all of us 'oohed'.

"Claire and Joseph sitting in a tree!" Nina bounced in her seat.

"K-I-S-S-I–" Candice couldn't finish the rest of the song since Claire took a cookie from her pocket and stuffed it in her mouth. She closed her eyes in rapture and chewed the chocolate delight while the rest of us wished we had started singing with her.

"If I sing, can I get a cookie stuffed in my face?" I asked hopefully and Claire flopped down on the couch next to me. She pulled out some cookies from her pocket and tossed some to each of us.

"We are so gonna get in trouble for this." Nina had a mouthful of cookie.

"But it feels so right!" I proclaimed and bit into mine.

"Seriously! Joseph risked his butt for you to get you cookies?" Candice questioned. "The guy is in love!"

Claire shook her head and twirled a lock of her blonde hair. "No, he was just being nice."

"Oh, come on, Claire!" Nina waved her hands around. "You have a little crush on him."

"I don't!"

I took my fluffy pillow and playfully smacked Claire in the back of the head with it. "Don't deny it!"

"Ouch! Don't hit me!" She groaned.

"Nina did the same thing to me when I denied that I liked Ian." I explained and Nina nodded.

* * *

><p>"Ian! Come run lines with me!" I called from my chair. We had gotten the notice that Damon and Cassandra would be reunited in the next episode, so I wanted to make sure that we had our lines and that our acting would be genuine. It was finally happening; the dynamic duo would be back together. It had been much too long for them to be apart but it would be awesome for them to be all badass. Ian had come straight home from set and jumped in the shower while I tried to be the good girl and study my lines. The shower finally turned off and I got up from my chair, walking over to the coffee table. I picked up my script in my hands and flipped through some of the highlighted pages already.<p>

"Ready when you are." Ian said from behind me. Hmm, he certainly got dressed pretty quickly.

"Finally! I thought that you–" I was suddenly speechless when I turned around to see Ian soaking wet and covered in bubbles. He wiggled his eyebrows at me and my eye ran over his wet, naked, and chiseled body. God almighty, he was perfect! Every inch of him was trimmed and taut. His wet hair clung to his forehead and his hands were placed on his hips. A plush white towel hung on his cock and I knew that he had done that to tease me. He was doing this because I wasn't on the set the day he filmed the scene where he had come out of the shower naked and freaked Elena out. I cursed and swore that I couldn't be there but I was doing press for the show. I felt my arousal spike at the thought of him being buried inside me or sucking on him with my mouth. "Ian, you're…"

"Perfect? I know, Kate." He winked.

"You're dripping." I deadpanned. "You are dripping water everywhere." I was trying to cover up my visibly arousal but I was fighting and losing.

Ian smirked and slowly sauntered over to me. My heart was slamming against my chest cavity; this man might kill me if he keeps doing what he's doing. "What do you say you dry me off?" He purred, leaning down dangerously close to my lips. I tilted my head to the right slightly and plucked the towel from off his cock. It bounced up and down before standing at attention. With quick hands, I wiped him down, soaking up the excess water and bubbles. The entire time he was watching me with careful eyes and when I was completely finished, I dropped the towel to the floor. I stared up at him and smirked, mirroring Damon's smirk and leaned in for a kiss, but I denied him. Ian growled at me, baring his teeth but I just bit my bottom lip coyly. I stepped closer to him and pressed my body flush against his, trapping his hard cock between our bodies. I could feel my long pajama shirt getting a little wet, but I didn't care. At this rate, my shirt was going to be on the floor soon. Ian gripped my hips and ground his hips into mine. His cock throbbed and I let out a little moan, he was just such a tease. His fingers toyed with the bottom of my shirt before I lifted my arms and he yanked it off me, tossing it to the floor on top of his forgotten towel. I stood proudly in just a pair of panties and I stepped back, allowing him to appreciate me. I did a twirl, showcasing my lacy red panties and I head Ian's breath catch. He pulled me close to him again and pulled at the material of my panties but I swatted his hands away. Instead, my hands caressed down his warm, soft skin until they reached the place that ached for me the most. A slim finger ran down his cock before wrapping my hand around him. Ian hissed through his teeth and I licked my lips, eager at the thought of stuffing him in my mouth. I got down on my knees and set the towel under them so I wouldn't get rug burn on my skin. I figured that towel burn was better than rug burn.

"What have we got here?" I asked innocently and blew a puff of air over him. "Looks like Damon is happy to see me." That was our little inside joke. I had named his cock one night and we couldn't stop laughing as we made love. Needless to say, our sex life was on fire. I was more comfortable with my body and it didn't help that Ian couldn't keep his hands off me. He made me feel sexy and untamed.

Ian let out a chuckle as I started to stroke him. "He's _very_ happy to see you. He'd like it even better if you put him in your mouth."

"Well, then I'd have to oblige him." I giggled and puckered my lips around his head, suckling firmly. With only his tip in my mouth, I pumped the rest of his shaft and Ian moaned from above me. His fingers wove into my lose bun before yanking the scrunchie out of it. Ian much preferred my hair down, so I wore it down whenever I was around him. I slowly and teasingly moved his cock further into my mouth and Ian's fingers tightened in my hair.

"Oh, my God." He groaned and before he knew it, his cock was completely stuffed in my tiny mouth. I had gotten quite good at taking him in and down my throat. Practice makes perfect and Ian and I got a lot of practice. He practically never let me sleep since he was so horny all time. I was too, but I guess women can control it better than men. He pulsed in my mouth and I swallowed around him, making him moan aloud and yank my hair harder. I loved when he pulled my hair, it was such a possessive move and it made me weak at the knees. I looked up at him and he was staring down at me, his blue eyes watching my every motion. I removed my lips from around his cock and trailed my tongue down his shaft until I met his heavy sac. I tapped my tongue against it, drawing shapes and laving it. I sucked it into my mouth, suckling and Ian was nearly shivering above me. Hearing his moans and making him lose control like this was the highlight of my day. I knew of course that he'd return the favor, but right now I was more concerned with getting him off. My hand pumped his shaft and my lips were then at the very tip, licking and kissing it.

"Are you close, baby?" I moaned.

Ian's hands were still in my hair and his nails were biting at my scalp. "God, yes! Just a little more." He grunted.

"Where do you want to come?" My voice was barely a whisper, but he heard each and every word.

"Your mouth. I want my come in your mouth." He begged. How could I say no to this man?

"Come for me, Ian." I purred and opened my mouth for him; my hand was still pumping him furiously. Ian exploded, warm spurts of come coated my lips and some shot inside my mouth. He cursed and his cock twitch, his head spilling and dribbling come all over. I continued to stroke him until his cock was soft and spent. I licked my lips, cleaning them and his cock too. I swallowed each drop and smirked up at Ian before standing once more. He grabbed me and pressed his forehead against mine, panting heavily.

"Don't look so smug, missy." Ian breathed and suddenly scooped me up. I squealed and wrapped my legs around him; it was practically second nature to me.

"Let me guess, you're not finished with me?" I giggled as his lips closed around my earlobe, biting and yanking it roughly.

Ian tossed me on his large bed and I bounced from the force. He ripped off my panties and pulled me down the bed and hovered over me. "I'm just getting started."

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><p><strong>Please review and let me know if you'd like to see anything special!<strong>


	19. Wait, you're not Daniel Gillies!

**Hi all! This little chap is a filler because I wanted to get a move on with season three and my muse has run off. If you find her, please return to TinyDancer365! I hope you all enjoy and thanks so much for all of the reviews and love for this story.**

**Beta:**** currently un-beta'd. I will be looking for a beta to edit my work since the lovely and talented, HarlyQuinn88, has gone MIA. Please, girly, if you are reading this, contact me because I want to make sure everything is okay with you!****  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

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><p>Cough.<p>

Cough.

Sniffle.

Groan.

"Kate?" Ian called.

Fuck me! God Dammit! I knew this would happen. I knew that if I got too run down this would happen. I would get sick now of all times. I had done pretty well as far as keeping myself healthy, but I feel like I'm dying. My head throbbed, my throat burned, my body was hot and cold at the same time, and my muscles ached like I had run a 5K. I groaned out again and Ian rushed into the room, asking what was wrong but one look at my face said it all.

"You need to see a doctor." He said and I shook my head.

"I'm fine. I'll feel better when I get down to the set." I clambered out of that warm comfy bed and shivered violently. I yanked the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around me as I walked over to the closet to get dressed.

"Kate, you need to see a doctor." Ian pressed and pulled out his cell phone.

I shook my head and shimmied a pair of sweatpants up my legs. "No, I need to go to work."

"Yeah, Julie. It's Ian. I'm doing fine. I'm taking Kate to the doctor. She doesn't look so good." He told her.

"I'm fine, Julie!" I shouted, hoping Julie would hear me but it only made the scratching in my throat worse.

"Yeah, that's her." Ian said. "She's being stubborn."

"I am not stubborn." I grumbled and threw an oversized sweatshirt over my head. I just wanted to go back to sleep, but I heard Ian on the phone with a doctor's office. I finished getting dressed but I was still so cold. I hugged the blanket around me for warmth but it wasn't working too well.

Ian hung up the phone and kneeled in front of me as I shivered on the edge of his bed. He brought my forehead to his lips, humming against my skin and I nuzzled him because he was so warm. But alas, he pulled back but not before kissing my cold skin. "Yeesh, someone's got a fever." He then pressed his hand there for a moment. "You're burning up."

"But I'm so cold." My teeth chattered.

"C'mon," Ian took my hand and helped me out of bed. "I'm taking you to the best doctor in town." He ushered me down the steps and luckily there were no paparazzi around. Like I needed them to see me sick.

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><p>I hugged my knees to my chest as I sat up on the examination table. The doctor did some routine tests and a blood test too to see my levels. Ian waited in the chair next to the table and rubbed his hand up and down my leg. Honestly, it hurt for him to touch me because my skin was so sensitive but I didn't want to tell him to stop. He was being his normal amazing self, not even saying a word when the doctor asked us to wait for the results.<p>

What the hell could I possibly have? Strep throat? The flu? Mono? Then my mind really started to reel. What if I was pregnant? The doctor did ask me if I was sexually active and I told him I was. I mean, ever since that one time we had unprotected sex, we made sure to not do that again. I went on the pill right away and Ian wore condoms each and every time we had sex. But there could always be an oops, right? Like what if the condom broke or had a hole in it? Shit! I'm too young to be pregnant! I'm not ready for motherhood! Oh God, what would I tell my parents? No, this is ridiculous! Why must I always work myself up for these kinds of things? But I guess I have to, right? I have to be worried about these things because it is my health after all. And furthermore-

"Well, Miss Walker, it looks to me like you've got a bad case of the flu." The doctor told us.

Phew! Thank god I'm not pregnant...wait! I have the flu?!

"Since you're filming, I'm going to put you on some heavy antibiotics because I can only imagine that you want this infection gone." He spoke as he scrawled all over his prescription pad.

"Is there anything else we can do, doc?" Ian asked as he stood and helped me up off the table.

"Just make sure she gets plenty of rest and that she drinks lots of water. We don't want her to get dehydrated." He ripped off the prescription and handed it to me. Damn doctors. Can't they write normally and not like chicken scratch? I feel bad for the poor bastard at the pharmacy who has to read this and fill my medication.

"What about her blood work?" Ian snatched the paper from me and if I wasn't feeling so weak, I would have smacked him.

"Her blood work was normal. All of her levels look good. Some are a little out of whack because her body is fighting an infection, but that's normal." He nodded. "Now, get her home and into bed. She needs to rest. And I would also recommend some Motrin for the fever."

"Thank you doctor." I tried to smile, but even that hurt.

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><p>I snuggled back down into bed and Ian tucked me in tightly. On the way back to the apartment, Ian filled my meds and called Julie, telling her we'd be back on set tomorrow. I naturally protested because Ian shouldn't have to miss work because I was sick. All I had to do was stay in bed, but Ian didn't want to leave me alone. My fever was still kicking my butt and I huddled myself in my blankets. Unfortunately, I was suffering from both a fever and chills.<p>

Wonderful.

Ian made me some soup, tea and made sure I took all of my antibiotics that the doctor prescribed. He was being so good to me. I figured that because I was sick that he didn't want to be near me, but Ian stayed by my side. He even watched some of my favorite movies with me, not fussing at all. I would fall asleep for short periods of time, about three or four hours at a clip and then it was time to take my meds again. Being sick really sucked. I received texts and tweets from cast mates, wishing me a speedy recovery and that lifted my spirits.

I must have fallen asleep sometime because when I woke up it was pitch black. My body was slick with sweat and not the kind from being pleasured by my boyfriend. My pajama shirt stuck to my skin and I felt absolutely disgusting. The darkness in the room seemed endless and I couldn't make sense of where things begun and ended. It was all infinite to me. I looked for a clock or my phone to check the time but it was just so dark. My chest suddenly tightened and I let out a whimper, feeling around for Ian. I flailed my arms around until I heard an 'oof' and I felt Ian jostle next to me.

"What's wrong?" His voice was garbled in my brain.

I licked my lips and tried to clear my throat, but that just made it worse. "Hot...I'm too hot." I whimpered and clawed at my shirt. In an instant I was in Ian's arms and I buried my face in his shoulder, hoping to stop the room from spinning. The lights were flicked on and I still kept my eyes closed even though the bright lights were too strong for my weak eyes. Ian carefully placed me on the toilet, steadying me before darting over to the tub and turning it on. He kneeled in front of me and felt my forehead again. When he pulled back, his blue eyes were shining with worry.

"You're way too hot." He murmured and reached up in the cabinet and returned with a thermometer. He tried to prop it under my tongue and I had a hard time keeping it there. Ian tossed the thermometer aside and picked me up again. He walked over to the tub and gently set me down as he continued to fill it. The cool water soothed my burning skin and I relaxed into it, so much so that-

"Woah! Kate, no!" Ian's shouts reached my ears, but I didn't respond. I was then jostled around in the tub and I groaned. "Kate, you gotta stay awake." Ian's firm voice was in my ear as he sat behind me in the tub, keeping me propped up so I wouldn't slip under the water.

"Too hot..." I shook my head. "Too tired."

"C'mon, you can't fall asleep on me now. Just stay awake for a little bit." He cooed pleadingly and splashed some water on my cheeks, trying to keep me awake.

Tonight would be a long night.

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><p><em>Beep.<em>

_Beep._

_Beep._

Can someone shut that shit off? Jeez! I'm trying to sleep! I fused with my blankets, but it was the feel of soft lips being pressed to my forehead that gave me some comfort. My eyes slowly opened and I was greeted with Ian removing his lips from my skin. He smiled down at me and stroked my cheek. I looked around to see that I was in a hospital room and I was hooked up to an IV. I immediately started to panic.

"Easy." Ian's smooth voice soothed me. "You're in the hospital because you went unconscious from your fever."

I slumped back down into the lumpy mattress and sighed. "I...I don't remember."

"Blame the fever for that. It was really bad. I tried to cool your body down, but then you passed out. I had to call an ambulance." My tired brown eyes ran over his face. He looked run down, like he had been pacing the floor all night. Dark circles lined underneath his eyes and his hair was mused, sticking up in all different directions.

"Woah..." I deadpanned and picked at my blankets. "I mean, thank you for everything."

Ian chuckled and gave a shrug before walking over to the edge of the bed and sitting down. "Well, I couldn't exactly leave you conked out in my bathtub."

"Seriously," I giggled. "Thank you. Does Julie know what happened?"

"Yes, I told her and I'm sure everyone on set knows." He nodded. "How are you feeling now?"

It was my turn to shrug now. "I feel okay."

Ian leaned towards me and placed his lips on my forehead for a moment or two. They puckered, giving me a little kiss before pulling back. "Cool as a cucumber."

"Cool as a cucumber." He smiled and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Huh?"

"You're fever finally broke." Ian slid into bed next to me and pulled me against him. "You really worried me last night."

"I was scared too." I nodded and laid my head on his chest.

He kissed my forehead again. Ian smiled down at me and combed his fingers through my dried hair, the ends were still damp and I was now wearing one of those horrid hospital gowns that are completely open in the back. "Sleep for a little while. We have some time before the doctor comes in to sign you out."

Always ready to take the initiative for more sleep, I snuggled into Ian's side and hugged him tightly. I felt very safe with him and I knew that no other guy would have taken care of me like he did. "Thank you." I whispered ever so quietly, but Ian didn't reply. Instead, he snored lightly in my ear and I just giggled.

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><p>A few weeks later, I was in perfect health and back to my normal self. That flu had completely kicked my ass and it had taken me a while to battle through it, but Ian and my friends on set helped make it easier. Unfortunately, news had gotten around about my hospital debacle and rumors flew around that I was rushed to the hospital after falling and cracking my head open on the toilet because I was so drunk.<p>

Or, there was another one where I had passed out due to a drug overdose.

Or the one about Ian and I getting into an argument and that landed me in the hospital.

Yeah, you get the idea.

Of course, all of these rumors were quickly squashed and I had my good reputation back again. It sure as hell was annoying ironing out my story eight-thousand times on talk shows or in interviews, but I was glad to just be feeling better and being back at work. Thankfully, Ian hadn't caught what I had and neither did anyone on set. I was mostly worried about that because even though I was sick as a dog, I still had to go to work. Thank god those meds were so strong! They managed to get me through each day until I'd crash and sleep at night. All I knew was that my sickness attributed to a lot of bloopers that would be on the gag reel when the DVD came out for the fans.

We finished filming the _'Homecoming'_ episode which was the midseason finale for season 3. It had left off with Cassandra becoming human and she and Damon decided to take a little vacation away from Mystic Falls. It was very open ended and Julie hadn't said a word about where they'd be going or what would happen which I thought was odd since sometimes Julie would drop some ideas but I hadn't heard anything.

I took a couple weeks off to go home for the holidays and spend it with my family. All was quiet back in New York and I was pleased to say that my dad had a clean bill of health. I had missed being with my family so much! Even though I spoke with them multiple times a day, it still didn't beat being in my old house and spending time with them. Unfortunately, the holidays went by much to quickly and before I knew it I was back in Atlanta again and ready to shoot.

Nina and I had joined a gym not far from the set and we would often squeeze in a couple Zumba classes or run the treadmill on our days off. When you're playing a vampire in a television show, you have to make sure that you keep your figure and you can't make any drastic changes to your appearance or else the fans will pick up on it right away. I definitely put on a little weight from the holiday foods, but I was determined to get back into shape again.

"Nina! Kate!"

"Hello ladies! How are you doing today?"

Some paparazzi had managed to catch us when we were leaving the gym and walking back to my apartment. Perfect. Like the entire world needed to see me all sweaty and gross in my gym clothes.

"Had a nice day at the gym?"

"Yeah, we had a great time." I told them and slung my gym bag over my shoulder.

"You ladies are looking fantastic! What did you do at the gym?" They asked as they snapped pictures of us.

"We had Zumba today." Nina replied before taking a big swig from her water bottle.

"And we did some kick-boxing." I added.

"Yeah, Kate kicked my butt!" My friend smiled and playfully nudged me.

"It's not my fault that you stink!"I stuck my tongue out at her and pushed my sunglasses up higher on my eyes. I would always wear them when I went out, I figured that it would make me a little more incognito, but that never worked. I was always spotted within a few minutes of being out and damn did those paparazzi move quickly once they got word that one of us were walking on the streets or eating at a restaurant.

"Any news on the show? What kind of spoilers can you give us?" Jeez, these guys took way too many photographs. After being at the gym, there were only two angles on me.

Yucky.

And really gross.

"Well, they don't like to tell us anything." Nina spoke up.

"We're left in the dark." I laughed.

"Kate, there are rumors about Damon and Cassandra's relationship taking the next step. Any information on this?" One of them asked and I immediately buttoned my lip.

"I mean, they are really close. I think this is the closest they've ever been and I feel like they will continue to grow as a couple." That sounded like a good answer considering I had no idea what would be going on in the show.

"We've heard whispers about a possible engagement between the two."

"Woah, woah, woah! What?" I giggled.

"Yeah seriously! You're like the fourth person who's asked that." Nina chimed in and wiped some sweat off her brow.

"C'mon! You don't think Damon will put a ring on it? The paparazzo laughed as he held his iPhone to videotape us.

Little did they know, I've been hearing these rumors around set and on blogs, so the possibility of it all was very possible. Perhaps I'd learn some more when we got to the set. But first, I needed a shower desperately. I stunk to high heaven.

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><p>Back on set the following week, Katerina and I walked down the halls were crew and cast members were running lines and prepping scenes for shooting. The area was buzzing with excitement and I lived off of each molecule that was floating in the air. We were already dressed and primped from the make-up ladies, so we had some time to get into character and relax for a little.<p>

"But seriously, Kat, I loved the demo you let me listen to." I told her.

She grinned from ear to ear, "Thanks! I've been working really hard on getting my music out on the air waves." Katerina had been working on a music career and she was really good! She had a different edge and style to bring to the industry and she had even let me listen to some songs. "I want to film a few music videos and I need to cast for back-up dancers."

"Ooh! Me! Pick me!" I jumped up and down excitedly. "I've always wanted to be in a music video."

"Well, you've gotta show me that you can move." She laughed.

"Hello? We took dance classes together a couple of times!" I reminded her.

"Oh yeah! With Candice and Nina." Katerina recalled and I happened to look down the hallway. I spotted Daniel Gillies talking with Joseph and wanted to squeal with excitement. Julie had announced the epic return of Elijah along with some other Originals. Daniel was an amazing asset to the cast, not to mention he always had me in stitches. He would always join me in springing pranks on Ian, so I was happy to have him back.

"Shh," I told Kat and tiptoed down the hall. Daniel's back was facing me, so he would have no idea that I conveniently decided to sneak up on him.

"Wait! Kate, that's not-" Katerina called after me but I was already in mid air.

"Daniel!" I jumped on his back and wrapped my arms around his neck. I squeezed him tightly and chattered about how happy was to see him, however he didn't really reply. In fact, he was trying to get me off of him. Joseph had a look on is face of utter confusion and I quickly hopped off Daniel. He turned around and my face dropped.

The man I had just attacked was _not_ Daniel Gillies although they might as well have been twins. He had brown hair that was styled much like Daniel's when he wasn't wearing his Elijah wig and had the same oak colored eyes. Even his build and facial features were alike.

"I...I am so, so sorry." I blubbered while Joseph couldn't help but laugh to himself about how stupid I looked.

"That's quite alright. You did give me a little bit of a scare though." The man replied with a smile. He had an Australian accent which sounded absolutely charming and it suited him.

"I thought you were-"

"Daniel Gillies?" He finished for me with a little hint of amusement in his tone. I nodded and Katerina had happened to join my side. "Yeah, I get that a lot." He ran a hand through his short brown hair.

"Kate, this is Nathaniel Buzolic." Katerina introduced us and we shook hands. "He's _not_ Daniel."

I scowled at my co-star. "I know that, duffus!" I reprimanded her. "Nathaniel, I am so sorry."

"Oh, please, call me Nate. And like I said, it's okay. If I had more pretty girls jump at me then I'd be in a lot better shape." He joked.

"Next time, Kate, give him a warning." Joseph chimed in and I smacked him upside the head.

"Oh shush, you!" I scolded but he continued to laugh at me.

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><p><strong>I thought that throwing that last bit in would make you guys laugh a little. Please let me know what you'd like to see in the upcoming chapters! More smut? More scene work? Some bloopers perhaps?<strong>

**Please review :D**


	20. Scene Work

**Love Like This**

**Chapter 20: Scene Work**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD's, only Kate and my story.**

_Ladies and Gentlemen, hold onto your hats! If you are a Damon/Cassandra fan, listen up! Some photos have been circulating of the cast shooting the series and actress, Kate Walker, is sporting a gorgeous engagement ring! Could it be that bad boy, Damon Salvatore has finally put a ring on it? Make sure to tune into The Vampire Diaries on Thursday nights at 8pm on the CW._

"I can't believe when this news actually comes out," I told Ian as we munched on some breakfast in my dressing room. Cassandra's stunning engagement ring was perched on my finger and Ian and I were scheduled to do some more scenes later today for later on in the series.

Ian nodded and sipped on his coffee. "The fans will go crazy!" When we were finished, I cleaned up our plates and fiddled with my Cassandra costume.

"I seriously love this girl's style. She's got the best clothes." I beamed. If I could run rampant through the costume department, I'd steal each and every one of Cassandra's costumes. Each outfit was just perfect and I'd wear them all the time. Oh, and don't even get me started on her shoes!

"I like them even better off you." Ian smirked as he watched me check myself out in the mirror. My eyes met his and I smirked somewhat innocently before tousling my hair. Ian sauntered to stand behind me and he brushed my perfect curls over my shoulder to press his lips there.

"We have to do a scene soon..." I sang teasingly and shivered as his lips caressed over my skin.

"We have time," he purred in my ear and flicked open the button of my jeans in one swift motion.

"Ian, we..." My breath caught in my throat feeling him press up against me. He was so hard and that just made me want to throw him down and ride him.

"Hmm?" Ian chuckled in my ear before running his tongue along the outer shell.

"We have to be quick," I whispered softly and my eyes flicked to the reflection of the door in the mirror. The lock was clicked into place, so I turned and threw my arms around Ian. We quickly worked to getting our clothes off without ripping them because let's face it, they weren't ours. Ian then placed me on the vanity table; his lips were nipping and kissing along my skin. He pulled me close and thrust into me in one sudden movement. My head fell back and I was unable to comprehend the amount of pleasure I felt as my boyfriend thrust into me. His movements were rushed, but I knew that I'd be spoiled later on after work. We had to keep ourselves relatively quiet since cast or crew could walk by the door at a moment's notice, but I would much rather scream at the top of my lungs in my throes of passion.

"You are such a bad girl." Ian purred and snapped his hips.

"You make me bad. You're a bad influence on me, Smolder." I panted and scratched my nails down his chest. Ian grunted and opened his mouth to say something but another voice cut him off.

"Ian? Kate?"

Nina!

Oh shit!

Ian and I froze. Dammit, she didn't need to catch us in the act! She knocked on the door and called us again but we didn't answer.

"Julie is looking for you guys to do some scene work with the acting coaches." She told us through the door before jiggling the handle. Ian then kicked our clothes into a dark corner of the vanity table and scooped me up in his arms. I resisted the urge to squeak and shiver since Ian was still deeply seated inside me. He walked us over to the closet and quietly closed and locked the door behind us. He held a finger to his lips and I nodded in understanding even though he couldn't see me. The closet was so dark that I couldn't even see Ian in front of me.

"Alright, I'm coming in." Nina sighed and slid the key in the lock. Since we were all friends, a bunch of us had keys to each other's dressing rooms. You can see why this is now a problem, right?

Remind me to take away Nina's key to my dressing room.

"Guys?" She called into the empty room. "Seriously, Julie wants to work with you two." We didn't dare to move an inch. This was terrifying yet exhilarating at the same time. We had to remain quiet since we didn't want to get caught, but I felt beyond naughty that my boyfriend was throbbing inside me. I leaned my head down on Ian's shoulder, my lips were at his left ear. I felt him stiffen against me and I smirked into his skin. I had found this little pleasure spot when I was giving Ian a massage a couple weeks ago. I didn't think his ear would be so sensitive, but he was a writhing, moaning mess when I traced my tongue over it.

"I figured you two lazy bums would be napping in here..." Nina grumbled as she continued to look around the room. I ever so softly licked the shell of Ian's ear and he groaned quietly. I felt him twitch inside me and I giggled in his ear. His fingers on my ass tightened, his short nails dug into my skin as a warning to stop or else we'd get caught. Deciding to challenge him once more, I swirled my tongue along the inside of his ear but he threaded a hand in my hair and yanked me away. His grip was bruising and I moaned in the back of my throat. I loved when Ian would be rough with me. At times I needed him to be sweet and tender, but other times it made me so hot when he was rough. I enjoyed when he'd tug my hair and spank me. I experimentally clenched my muscles around him and Ian's lips smashed onto mine. I smirked triumphantly against his lips, but my smugness was soon obliterated when Ian pulled back and thrust into me.

Hard.

My moans were muffled by his lips and I desperately tried to keep them in, but Ian's thrusts felt so good.

"Fine. I'll go look by the Craft Service truck." The brunette huffed and it wasn't until Nina left did I let out a primal moan.

"Ian...oh god!" I clutched him as he pounded into me.

"You fucking tease!" His voice was dark and husky. Each thrust was so deep and hard that was I being pounded against the wall.

"Punish me," I begged. My walls clenched around his glorious length and I knew I'd come soon.

"You think I'm punishing you now? Wait till we're alone." Ian told me and I shook against him. "But right now, you're gonna come so hard all over me."

"Yes! Yes, I'm going to come so hard for you, baby." I whimpered as my nails left deep scratches along his back. "I'm so close."

Ian didn't need much more encouragement than that. His thrusts speared my core and my desire was dripping down my thighs. I couldn't see Ian, but I could feel that he was close too. My other senses were on overdrive since my sense of sight was cut off. Every scent, touch, taste, and sound was amplified. I felt his hands all over my body and his groans shook me entirely. His scent would forever be engrained in my brain and his lips on mine were drugging. I suddenly felt the overwhelming sensation that I was reaching my end, but I couldn't even say anything. My vocal chords were in tangles and all I could do was writhe in his hold as he met his completion along with me. He was hot and sticky as his come spilled inside me and I thanked the Lord that I was on birth control.

We slumped against the inner wall of the closet. Our limbs were wrapped around each other and we were a panting mess. His soft cock slipped out of me and I smiled as his lips caressed my forehead. I wasn't sure I'd be able to stand on my own two feet since my body was still trembling.

"Oh, wow." I breathed against him.

"Tell me about it." Ian kissed my flushed skin and it prickled slightly.

"I can't believe we almost got caught." I stood on my shaky legs.

"No, I'm talking about how we need to have sex in dark closets more often."

* * *

><p>Take one.<p>

The dart flew through the air but didn't even get passed the mark.

"Dammit!" I cursed. "Can we try that again?"

Take two.

"Sorry!" I yelled to some of the extras who darted away from table. "Let's try that once more."

Take five.

I was quickly getting frustrated and my focus was wavering. This damn dart just wouldn't fly straight. Of course I could try and blame myself for not being able to throw a dart, but it seemed much more logical to lay my blame on an inanimate object.

"Ah!" Nina shrieked as the dart flew past her.

"Sorry Neens!" I giggled. I guess that's payback for snooping around in my dressing room when Ian and I were in the closet.

"Jesus, Kate!"

"Shut up, Paul! You're not even supposed to be in this scene!"

When I told them I couldn't throw darts, I wasn't kidding. And here I was, being made fun of because I couldn't throw the dart at the board. The script reads and I quote:

_A dart flies past Klaus's cheek, nicking the skin. Klaus turns to see Cassandra and he is surprised._

How the hell could this actually happen if I couldn't even get the dart to fly?

"This isn't funny!" I growled and took another dart, aiming it at the board.

"Try actually hitting the target this time." Joseph laughed and I glared at him. Everyone was just having too much fun with this.

"Watch your mouth, Jomo! This dart might accidently end up in your face!" I threatened my cast mate and he just laughed even harder.

* * *

><p>"Beautiful!" The photographer snapped another photo. "Now, Joseph, I want you to lean into Kate's neck and Ian, you do the same." Both men moved and received a nod from our photographer. "Kate, I need you to face the camera straight on and bring a hand on the side of each of their faces." He directed and I followed without fault. "Perfect!" Multiple flashes went off from many different angles and I hit each one on point.<p>

Entertainment Weekly wanted Ian, Joseph and I to do a few cover spreads for their issue and naturally we all jumped at the chance. Little did I know that it was going to be a shoot where I was practically being tossed around from Ian to Joseph. Nor did I know that I would be dressed in almost nothing except for some skimpy lingerie. Little dribbles of fake blood were applied to my neck and their mouths as they pretended to feed from me.

Oh well, there are worse things in life than being sandwiched and photographed with two hot men, one of which was my boyfriend.

The next shoot was with Joseph and me alone. I was rushed into wardrobe and emerged in a red and black tightly laced corset, complete with matching panties and thigh-high stockings. My lips were painted red and my sultry eyes were lined in black. The girl who did my hair piled up my long curls into a messy bun with little tendrils hanging to frame my face. In short, I looked like a complete and total sexpot. Joseph was dressed in a long sleeved black t-shirt and dark jeans, looking handsome as always.

Joseph stood behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. I angled my neck to look somewhat over my shoulder, but not completely as to show that I was aware of his presence. One of his hands cupped my neck and he leaned in, prepared to bite when his eyes flicked up to meet the camera. We did a bunch of other poses, mainly photographing Joseph as the more dominant one in the pictures, but there were a few where I could embody Cassandra. The idea of the shoot was to have Cassandra being tempted by Klaus, but she was resisting on giving into him.

"You're getting good at hitting these poses." I murmured to him under my breath as we continued our shoot.

"I've been getting some pointers." He told me. "From Elizabeth."

Well, if that didn't ruin my lunch I'm not sure what will.

I wrinkled my nose just as a flash went off. Damn, bitch is now ruining my photo shoot. "I've seen her modeling pictures. Not impressed."

"She's not all bad," Joseph said.

"She hates me." I deadpanned.

"I think she feels threatened by you." He told me.

"Me? I'm 5 foot 1 and I'm not a gorgeous model. What the hell is she threatened of me for?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"She acts tough when you're around, but she knows that your name is on everyone's lips." Joseph spoke. "You're up and coming. Plus, I think she fancies Ian but she knows that he loves you."

I took it into consideration. Yeah, I did happen to bag the hottest thing on two legs, but I didn't let that change me in anyway. I loved Ian and we know how to make each other better. Perhaps Elizabeth really was jealous of me. She and Ian must have had some kind of fling or something since she has always tried to get him back whenever she could.

"I guess so." I shrugged.

"Okay, that's a wrap for this shoot! Kate, we need you back in wardrobe for the next shoot." The photographer called and I went to step off set when Joseph stopped me.

"Just give her a chance." I really didn't want to. I mean, I really didn't want to. I'd much rather eat white dog shit rather than give Elizabeth man-stealer Foster a chance. I just felt like we'd have nothing in common and that she'd had the personality of an unsalted cracker.

Ian and I were up to do our shoot next. A large king-sized bed was wheeled onto set and we were wrapped up in the soft silk blankets. I was dressed in…well nothing, except for a pair of white panties and Ian had a pair of white boxers on. The sheets covered my breasts and I situated myself to lay my head on Ian's chest. His heartbeat thrummed in my ear and I traced circles over his smooth skin. His fingers combed through my hair and we both looked into the camera, portraying our love for one another. Ian pressed his lips to my temple and I smiled softly, leaning closer into him and the flash went off.

Later on, the three of us sat with an interviewer from EW talking about the show. I was sitting in between my boys, of course, while he interviewed us.

"So, what can we expect in season 3?" He asked and the three of us exchanged teasing glances.

"Well..." I started.

"Lots of sex," Ian interjected.

Joseph let out a loud laugh. "Why am I not surprised with hearing that answer?"

"I feel like out of all of the characters on the show, Damon and Cassandra have a lot of sex." The interviewer chuckled.

"Constant. The sex is constant." Ian told him and I was blushing beat red.

"And Klaus gets nothing!" I chirped.

"Yeah, what do you think about that, Joseph? Will Klaus get the girl this season?" Joseph stole a glance at me and I shrugged. "I mean, he loves Cassandra."

"He definitely loves her and I think he feels like Damon has everything because he has the girl." Joseph replied. "He's jealous of Damon."

"Well, Damon is badass." Ian joked and we all laughed at that.

"But in all seriousness, I think we will get to see Klaus's softer side." Joseph noted and I nodded.

"And Kate, we have seen some of your memories come back that Klaus made you forget. Will any more of these memories come about?"

I cleared my throat. "There will be some flashbacks later on in the season and some of them will include some memories that Cassandra will relive. I think that they will come back to haunt her in the worst ways."

* * *

><p>Bloopers<p>

Our Town

"However, Cassandra's blood was the purest I'd ever had. After all, virgin's blood is the sweetest." Joseph delivered his line perfectly and I squeezed my fake glass hard to get it to break. I squeezed and squeezed but the damn thing wouldn't break. I tried to keep my composure because the crew could always edit the extra time out but Joseph was cracking a smile.

"Oh my god!" I finally broke character and held up my glass. "What the hell is this made out of?" The crew chuckled and so did Ian and Susan Walters, she plays Carol Lockwood).

Dangerous Liaisons

"Enjoy the rest of your evening." I whispered dangerously to Nate and stalked off, however the hem of my dress got caught underneath my shoe and I tumbled to the ground. Nate immediately ran to help me, worried that I was hurt but he was relieved to see that I was a giggling mess in a jungle of tulle and fabric. This had happened to Nina in Season 1 and I could see her doubled over in hysterics off camera. Soon enough, I was picked up and bandaged up since an upturned marble tile had cut my arm.

Break on Through

Ian crushed his lips against mine as hot water showered down on us from the shower head. Damon and Cassandra had figured by snooping through Rebekah's brain that there was another white oak tree. We were currently engaged in our make-out session when the water pressure and temperature suddenly changed. It went from a regular flow to a quick one and the temperature dropped dramatically. Ian and I shouted out at the unexpected change and we ran out of the shower.

We later found out that Cassidy Freeman, she played Sage, changed the water because we were joking around on set with her earlier about a line she fumbled over.

* * *

><p>More episodes in season 3 were finished and I was back in our apartment packing my bags for Beverly Hills. A bunch of us were invited to go to Paleyfest to speak about the show. I couldn't wait to get there! I had never been to Beverly Hills and I was a little nervous about being on a panel. It was kinda like Comic Con, but I was anxious anyway. Although, I was psyched to get some time off. All of us had been working so, so hard on the show that a lot of us couldn't wait to get away. It would also be a nice time to experience the sights and spend some time with Ian. The show was getting intense and Cassandra and Damon were doing more arguing than the norm. Candice called it when she said that Klaus and Cassandra had a history together. I hated fighting with Ian even though I knew it was only acting.<p>

I zipped up my suitcase, or at least I tried to. I sat on it and wiggled around while trying to jam the zipper closed. Ian just watched me and chuckled, shaking his head. I huffed and eyed him as he leaned against the wall.

"Wanna help a girl out?"

"Nope. I'm having a good time just watching you." He quipped.

"Oh, come on!" I grumbled. "This damn thing won't close."

"Take out some things." Ian reasoned and wandered over to the bed where my suitcase was perched. I slid off the bed and threw open the lid. "Well..." He trailed off. "This is a little much for a long weekend."

"I like having my options." I told him as he went through my luggage. He plucked out a pair of high heels that were tucked in the side and eyed them. "I need those."

Ian raised an eyebrow at me. "You need them?"

"Yes I do." I nodded confidently and took them back from him, hugging them to my chest. "They're my babies." Since I was now earning a pretty sweet paycheck, I was finally able to buy myself a pair of Christian Louboutin pumps.

"So, then take some other stuff out." He bellyached and continued to rifle through my clothes until he found something that piqued his interest. "Woah, what have we got here?"

I turned over my shoulder to see Ian holding up a new pair of panties I bought. They were midnight blue with gold shimmery trim and I knew the bra was hiding in the suitcase as well. I tried to snatch them back from him, but he yanked them away and hid them behind his back. "Ian," I scolded.

His blue eyes twinkled with a hint of lust and he examined the panties even closer. "These are hot, babe."

"I wanted to surprise you." I jumped up to take them, but once again I was too slow.

"Hmm, surprise me?" He wiggled his eyebrows and played with the lace.

"Well, we've been working really hard lately and I think the two of us deserve some alone time." My voice rose a few octaves as I stepped closer to him.

Ian's lips curled into a smile, no, not a smirk but a real genuine smile. Those were the ones I loved so much. Ian had the best smiles, they made me want to smile with him and I always did. His eyes lit up and it just made me melt. He tossed the panties on the bed and cupped my cheeks. That was another thing that made me turn to a pile of goo. I just felt so safe whenever he put his hands on my face or caressed my cheeks. He kissed me gently and I swore I was floating on cloud nine. I placed my hands on his sides, gently skimming over his shirt and I felt his muscles ripple beneath the soft cotton.

"You're perfect; you know that?" He asked against my lips.

"Hey, I try." I giggled and kissed him again.

"I'm looking forward to having some alone time with you." Ian beamed.

I nodded. "Me too."

"And I'm looking forward to you in those new panties." He smirked and I swiped them off the bed.

"Me too." I bit my bottom lip.

* * *

><p><strong>Paleyfest is up next! Tell me what you'd like to see!<strong>

**Please review :D**


	21. Paleyfest

**Love Like This**

**Chapter 21: PaleyFest**

**Beta: PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Vampire Diaries. I only own my characters and my story.**

**AN: Are you guys still here?! Or have I lost you all? Hi everyone! So sorry for the late update! I have been super busy with taking summer classes, but I'll be finished by the end of July! *throws confetti* I love you all so much and you really keep me writing! Please, please, please be patient with me and I'll have chapters out soon! Please review :D****

* * *

><p>"Oh my God! There she is!"<p>

"Kate! Kate!"

"Over here! Look over here for a picture!"

"We love you!"

"Can you sign this?"

"C'mon folks. Stand back, let them through!"

I was quickly rushed through the barricades of screaming fans with Ian by my side as we entered Paleyfest. Never in a million years did I ever think that people would be screaming for me as I walked down the streets. If you think this is crazy, you should have seen Ian and me at the airport when we arrived; fans and paparazzi had followed us ever since we got our luggage. Security was doing everything they could to keep them back, but some kept insisting that we stop for them.

As soon as we got into the building, we were quickly ushered backstage where techies clipped microphones to our clothes and we sat in the back for a while as we waited for the rest of the cast to show up. I kept peeking my head out of the curtain on the side of the stage to see an audience filled with people and I could barely keep myself from squealing aloud. I was just too excited to keep it in.

The Paleyfest soon started and all of us walked on stage one by one and took our seats. I was sitting in between Nina and Ian, so I was the center of the line of chairs. The seating order from left to right was the moderator, Kat, Matt, Nina, Kate, Ian, Julie, Paul, and Candice. I anxiously tapped my pointed-toe heels as the moderator thumbed through her cards with questions on them.

"So before we get to the nitty gritty of this, Kate," I looked up and smiled at the moderator. "I heard that you took a little tumble the other day. Are you alright?"

"Oh!" I immediately started giggling.

"What happened to you?" Nina looked concerned.

"Well, the other day when Ian and I arrived at the airport, we were walking to our car and I...fell." I was totally embarrassed that there were pictures all over the internet of me busting my ass. As soon as I had fallen, the press immediately backed away seeing Ian stomp towards me and help me onto my feet.

"But it wasn't entirely your fault." Ian added. "A paparazzo tried to grab onto her bag as she was walking and she tripped."

"Oh no!" Candice frowned and the audience booed the camera man.

"I'm fine though!" I assured them.

"Did you have to go to the hospital?" The moderator asked.

"Oh, no way. I just banged up knee, but I am mad that I didn't get to wear a cute skirt today because I didn't want anyone seeing my band aids." I really hated that I had to change my entire outfit the night before the Paleyfest, but I think I looked pretty cute. After all, Ian did help me pick out a pair of red dress slacks and a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

Very business savvy.

"And there is a clip of it and we can see Ian running to help you which is adorable." She said and the audience awed.

"Aww!" Paul copied them. "I'm sure Doctor Smoldy-pants was there to bandage you up."

I blushed, giggling and I could see that Ian was laughing too. If only Paul knew that Ian did give me some, ehem, TLC that was..._wow_.

"The doctor is in." Ian winked. Then the Paleyfest took off and the moderator didn't waste any time jumping right into the show.

"Let's talk about the Originals because I figured they're not here tonight."

"So we can say whatever we want about the Originals." Ian joked. "Just talk shit about the Originals."

"Have we seen the last of them?"

"No," Julie shook her head and so did we.

"It's why all of us constantly live on the precipice of death." Ian pointed to himself and the rest of the panel.

"Those damn Originals," I laughed.

"So, Kate, is Klaus still hanging around?" The moderator asked me and some members of the crowd started cheering. They must have been Klassandra fans.

"I mean, he's really in love with Cassandra, so I don't think he is going anywhere anytime soon." I explained.

"But you and Damon are engaged." The woman pointed out.

"Yeah!" Paul shouted from the opposite end of the panel. "He can't steal a woman that has a ring on her finger."

"If Klaus liked it so much then she should've put a ring on it!" Kat chimed in and snapped her fingers.

"So, what is going on with Klaus and Cassandra this season?"

"He's trying to steal Damon's girl, that's what!" Ian said.

"But, what will fans be seeing in the upcoming episodes?" She asked and all eyes were on me.

"Fans will be seeing a very different relationship between Cassandra and Klaus. We've already seen lots of flashbacks with the two of them and those show that, yes, they were really quite involved with each other."

"They certainly were! And what about Damon's perspective on all of this?" The moderator looked to Ian now.

"Well, he...Damon is a very territorial and possessive kind of guy. What's his is his, and he doesn't like people trying to take what's his." He explained. "And now that Cassandra has a ring on her finger, Damon is even more protective of her. When I started off the show, if someone told me that Damon would be slipping a ring on some girl's finger, I would have laughed in their faces."

"Would you really?" The moderator raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, totally! From the very beginning of the show to know, Damon has grown and transformed so much as a character. It's been challenging acting-wise to convey a sort of broken man being changed and reformed by a woman who he always loved, but was too scared to admit it."

"It's crazy that these two characters have really stuck by each other through thick and thin." I chimed in.

"What are you most surprised about with this new angle that the show is going in?" The moderator asked me. "It's almost like a love-triangle."

"When Julie first approached me with the idea, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical at first, only because I guess I was so comfortable playing Cassandra when she was with Damon, you know? For season 2 and most of season 3, it's been about Damon and Cassandra fighting for their love and now having a new character come into the mix can be very complicated." I said. "You get used to acting one way with an actor and you get too comfortable, so it was refreshing to challenge myself with Joseph Morgan, who is a wonderful actor and I am so privileged to work with him."

"So, now Julie, will this be a love-triangle?"

"It already has started to form whether people like it or not and I know that Kate was struggling with the idea to have Cassandra be in love with someone else, but I explained it to her in such a way that...when Cassandra was turned, she had to leave her entire life in Mystic Falls behind. All she had was Elijah and we find out that Klaus was there as well. So, those two men were really all she had. Klaus's original intentions for Cassandra was to carry on the hybrid race with him once he broke the curse. What he didn't expect, was falling in love with her." Julie related. "And it's the same with Cassandra too. She didn't expect to fall in love with Klaus because she had Damon on her mind."

"I mean, who doesn't have Damon on their mind?" Ian quipped.

"He's on my mind all of the time." Paul deadpanned and we all chuckled at that.

"Don't tell Torrey that." Matt Davis chuckled.

"Oh, Paul, how has it been working with your wife on the show?"

"Well-"

"She's so awesome!" I blurted and Paul sent me a funny look. "What? Torrey is a total boss!"

"I agree!" Kat, Nina, and Candice all raised their hands.

"You just say that because you all like to make fun of me with my wife." Paul shook his head.

"The best was that Julie told Matt that he would have a love interest and Matt was so thrilled. He was like 'Yeah! Alaric's gonna get some!' And it ends up that it's Paul's wife." I could barely get through what I had to say because I was nearly doubled over with laughter.

"And Matt Davis was horrified!" Ian chuckled.

"He's horrified?!" Paul jumped in.

Questions kept coming along and Katerina was in the middle of talking when she started wiggling in her seat. She told the moderator that her mic pack was getting really hot and I asked to borrow it because I was freezing. They must have kicked up the air conditioning because I was rubbing up and down my arms. I felt Ian drape his jacket over my shoulders and I immediately snuggled into it. People in the crowd cheered and snapped tons of pictures, but all that mattered to me was Ian's cologne suffocating my senses. We talked about upcoming episodes while being very careful of what to say and what not to say. Since we had a general feeling of where the episodes were headed, we couldn't exactly spill the beans. We have to keep everything as vague as possible.

"Now what is this I've been hearing about Matt Davis's fanfictions?" Everyone on the panel audibly groaned while Matt was just smiling from ear to ear. "Now, that doesn't sound very reassuring."

"They are so inappropriate!" Julie yelled.

"What about the one where Alaric asks Cassandra to fill in for one of his classes?" Paul joked. "And she's like his teacher's pet."

"Oh my God!" I blushed and held my head in my hands.

"Woah! Looks like we're seeing some Calaric." The moderator said.

"Well, that kind of happened when Klaus was inside of Alaric." Ian spoke up. "And it was like...Klassandralaric."

"Klassandralaric?" Nina giggled and so did I.

"I think we're straying off the point that Matt Davis's fanfictions are so crude and raunchy." Julie added.

"Or what about the one where-" Matt started.

"NO!" A group of us yelled and the audience was nearly in hysterics while Nina was trying to cover Matt's mouth. Once everyone in the room calmed down, we were directed to the next set of questions. It jumped all around from moving the set to some place overseas because Gossip Girl went to Europe and Nina and I were itching to go there. Then we joked about Klaus having a profile which we also teased Joseph about too. All in all, it was a lot of fun and I would love to do another Paleyfest like this if I was ever asked to do it again. I knew that during the summertime, the cast did a lot conventions and I would most likely be requested to do them.

Like I would complain.

"And now we're going to take some questions from the audience." We all looked to the packed audience to see people lined up with questions.

"This question is for Kate." The first girl spoke into the microphone. "Firstly, I'd like to say that I love you so much and you're an amazing actress. You're one of my role models."

I almost wanted to cry at that. Here was this young girl tell me of all people that she admired me. "Thank you so much, sweetie! I love you too!"

The girl blushed and giggled a little before asking her question. "What would you be doing if you weren't doing the show?"

"I've always wanted to be a teacher and I was actually in school with an elementary education major. When I got notice of the audition for the show, I was really considering not doing it because I just felt like I wasn't good enough. I ended up going for it because I don't ever want to look back on my life and say, 'I should have done this or I should have done that.' So, I took a chance and the chips happened to be in my favor." I said nostalgically. "But when I'm not filming, I'm going to school because my education has always been really important to me. It might take me forever to get my degree, but I'm not stopping until I get it."

"So, can all of you imagine the show without Kate?" The moderator asked the panel and they were all shaking their heads.

"No way!" Nina frowned.

"It wouldn't be the same." Candice said.

"You see, we've all become a family here." Julie voiced. "We take care of one another and we pull for each other no matter what."

"I can agree with Julie because I get really homesick when I have to leave my home, my friends, and my family behind, but being with theses crazy people and coming to work every day makes me feel like I've never left." I beamed. A few more questions were asked about the show and the Paleyfest was quickly wrapped up. We were permitted to take pictures, sign autographs and hang out with fans who had passes and before I knew it, it was nighttime. We went out to dinner and Ian and the guys wanted to hit the bar, but I was really exhausted and wanted to head back to our hotel room. Little did Ian know, I had a couple of things planned for him. So, after he was set up at the bar with the guys, I rushed back to the room and got myself ready. We'd be leaving the following afternoon to get back to Atlanta for filming, but I remembered how Ian loved those blue panties he caught me packing, so I decided to give him a little surprise.

* * *

><p>I scampered around the room and put candles all over any surface I could find. I got all dressed and ready in the lingerie set. I clipped stockings and garter belts to my panties to sex up my look. I fluffed my hair and fixed up my make-up to make myself look sexier and more sultry. I lit the candles and slipped on a pair of nude pumps to complete the look. I waited patiently in a plush armchair and went over everything I had planned out. On the plane ride to Beverly Hills, Candice had lent me her copy of Fifty Shades of Grey to read and well...it got me thinking about being more adventurous in the bedroom. Naturally, I wanted to start out slow with everything, but it made me feel excited about trying new things. The minutes ticked by as I waited for Ian and I sent him a few texts to check on him.<p>

I have a surprise waiting for you.

He texted back fairly quickly. _What kind of surprise, Miss Walker?_

You'll have to wait and see, Mr. Somerhalder ;)

I guess the 'winky face' had the desired effect because Ian was home in the next half hour. I heard the room key sliding into the door and the lock clicked open. The lights were off and Ian saw me perched in my chair, illuminated by the dim glow of the candlelight.

"Well, well, well." Ian sauntered over to me and I straightened my foot out, pressing my high-heeled pump against his stomach to keep some distance between us.

"I've been waiting for you." I purred softly and eyed him up and down. He was dressed casually in a dark blue button down shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans. Ian could wear anything and he'd look positively delicious.

"So, what's my surprise?" He asked. I stood gracefully and slowly circled him, dancing my fingers over his chest and shoulders. Once I came back to where I had started, my eyes met his and uttered one simple word.

"Strip." Ian's eyes darkened and he smirked at me. I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth and for a moment, he just stood there. Partly because I was never really commanding in bed. I was always too wrapped up in pleasure that I couldn't even think straight, let alone communicate anything but 'harder' and 'oh god', but I wanted to switch things up. I had promised Ian a good time on our vacation and I'd hold my promise to him.

"I'm waiting." I tapped my foot and tilted my head to the side. Ian chuckled and reached for the buttons of his shirt, undoing them one by one. More of his perfectly pale skin was exposed and my lust only grew. He slid the shirt off his body and unbuttoned his pants. He pulled them down his legs along with his underwear and I was now chewing on my lip.

"What's next, mistress?" Ian smirked widely. I could get used to that nickname.

I moved to the side and nodded to the chair. "Sit." Ian followed my command and he was now looking up at me with lust in his eyes. I stalked over to the bed and grasped a black blindfold in my hands. The satin material caressed my skin and slipped between my fingers as a walked back to Ian. I tied it around his head, making sure to cover his eyes and secure it so he couldn't see anything.

"Very kinky, babe." He looked around for me when he didn't feel my presence near him.

"Well, I wanted to switch things up a bit." I said and straddled his right thigh. I teasingly ground my lace panties against his skin and I heard him take a sharp breath. His hands held my hips but I tsked at him. "No touching, Mr. Somerhalder. Those are the rules."

Frowning, he placed his hands on the arms of the chair and wriggled around under me. "Then what should I do, Miss Walker?"

"You should relax and let your mistress take care of you." I whispered in his ear and pressed loving kisses all over his skin. Little goose bumps sprouted along his neck and chest and he shivered.

"I could get used to this." He breathed and leaned his head back. I chuckled against his skin and grabbed a feather from the little table behind him. Ever so gently, I ran the tip down his chest and he jumped a little, surprised by the sensation.

"What is that?" He asked as I continued to dance it over his abs before trailing up to circle his nipples.

"You have to guess." I prompted him. "If you guess all of them, you'll get a prize."

I could tell that Ian was enjoying my little game because he was a tad bit soft when he sat down. He was now getting harder and harder ever since I tied the blindfold around his eyes. The fibers of the feather dusted under his cheek and along his jaw line as I waited for his answer.

"It's a feather." Ian said confidently and I kissed him firmly on the mouth, but only for a moment.

"Very good." I praised him and put the feather down, grabbing another object. Cubes of ice clinked around in the glass as I dug for one to place in my mouth. I let it swirl around, the chill making my brain freeze until the ice was completely dissolved. I leaned in close and trailed my tongue over Ian's neck. The cold from my tongue and the heat from his skin clashed deliciously as I worked a little sweet spot just below his ear.

"Kate..." He moaned and bucked his hips against mine wantonly.

"Do you know what it is yet?" I asked softly and he shook his head. "Bad boys don't get their prizes." He was so beautiful like this, writhing and begging. I made sure to burn this entire thing in my brain forever. I sucked down another ice cube and suckled his earlobe roughly. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him tightening his grip on the armrests. Taking another cube from the glass, I rubbed it down his chest and he gasped out.

"Ice." Ian answered quickly and I hummed in approval. I made sure the cube had melted before licking the water off of his skin.

"One more and then you'll get your prize." I grinned and set the glass down. I reached up to undo my hair and it tumbled down onto my shoulders. I took a lock of curled hair and tickled the inside of Ian's ear. He smiled widely but I could see him thinking really hard. It was just too adorable.

"I don't know." He frowned as I continued to torture him.

"That's a shame." I pouted and snaked my hand around his now rigid cock. Ian groaned out as I started to stroke him. "I want to give you your prize, but I can't if you don't know."

"Can I have a hint?" He was grasping at straws now and I could tell that his answer was just on the tip of his tongue, but he had fallen short.

"Hmm, I guess I can give you a hint." My lips were at his ear and my hands rubbed up and down his sides. "You love to grab at it when I'm on my knees. You always want it down, so when I suck your cock in my mouth, you want something to grab onto."

I could feel him smirking and I watched him with fascination seeing the little lightbulb go off in his head. My hand that was stroking him had stopped as I waited for his answer.

"Your hair."

"Bravo, Mister Somerhalder. You got all three correct." I smiled and undid his blindfold. Those hypnotizing blue eyes of his were practically glowing and I played with the material in my hands.

"I want my prize." He purred and rolled his hips into mine. I didn't realize how wet I had gotten during our little game, but the evidence was there in my panties.

"Since you did so well, I'm going to let you pick what you win." I said cheekily.

His eyes met mine and I was melting in his lap. "You," he murmured huskily. "I want all of you."

I bit my bottom lip and ground my panties against his length. "Take me."

"With pleasure."

In seconds, I was cradled in his arms and tossed onto the bed. He laid down by the headboard and beckoned me with his finger. I crawled up his body, swaying my hips from side to side like a panther and Ian snapped at the fabric of my panties before yanking them off me. I would have protested, but I was aching with want and I just wanted him to satisfy me in the way he does so well. I readied myself to sit down on his cock, but he tugged my wrist. I looked at him curiously, but he shook his head.

"I want you to sit on my face. Now." I grew even wetter and climbed up to hover my pussy over his face. His hot breath scorched my dripping folds and Ian wasted no time jumping right in. His tongue spread my folds and he immediately found my button. He circled it in quick swipes and I was soon shaking above him. My hands were clutching anything to keep myself grounded, one in Ian's hair and one wrapped around the headboard as he speared my aching entrance. His hands were at my hips, squeezing them and controlling whether my pussy would be pressed harder against his face or to be pulled away so he could breathe. It was so erotic having him control me even though he was underneath me. Ian spent long periods of time with his mouth pressed intimately against my lips. It made me wonder how the hell he was breathing, but my wondering fell right out of my head as he fucked me with his tongue. I was gyrating against his face when I felt my entire body tighten up. My orgasm was nearly there and Ian lifted me up so he wasn't toying with my pussy anymore.

"God! Ian, please don't stop." I begged and Ian wiggled his eyebrows at me before diving right back into my entrance. His tongue wriggled around inside me and his hands roughly cupped my ass. A few hard spanks and I was screaming as my release exploded from me. I was still coming when I suddenly felt Ian push into me from behind and that sent me writhing. My walls were still contracting and Ian groaned in my ear huskily as he pounded into me. We were both on our knees facing the headboard and I leaned back against him limply. My orgasm took a lot out of me, nut I quickly felt another one starting to coil deep in my belly. Ian's hands fisted my bra and tore it off me so he could massage my breasts as he fucked me. I grabbed at Ian's hair and kissed him passionately. He bit my bottom lip and I threw my head back as his cock stroked my sweet spot. Sweat slicked both of our bodies and all I could hear was the sound of our skin slapping against one another's. My hands tightened their grip on the headboard so hard that my knuckles were turning white. Ian's body draped over mine and his hand travelled to my clit. I shuddered violently as he teased my button and I was thrown off the blissful edge of my second orgasm. Ian roared from behind me and his come coated my quivering walls. I was panting uncontrollably and my body was shaking. Ian's arms wrapped around my waist securely and he lovingly kissed my neck. I smiled and hummed, encircling his arms that were holding me.

"Did you like your surprise?" I asked him.

Ian slid out of me and turned me around, cradling me to him. He kissed me soundly and my mind went blank. What was I asking again? His kisses had a special way of doing that to me. When I came back to planet earth, Ian smiled warmly and I brushed some damp hair from in front of his eyes.

"I loved it and I love you." He murmured softly. "It was perfect."

I smiled too and wrapped my arms around him. "I'm glad you loved it. It wasn't too much?"

"No," Ian shook his head and guided us down to the mattress. "It was really sexy actually and I wouldn't mind it if you did it again."

"I wouldn't mind doing it again." I smirked and scooted closer to him. I opened my mouth to say something else to him, but it turned into a long yawn. Looks like I had worked myself harder than I thought. Ian chuckled and kissed my hair before murmuring his goodnight and we both fell asleep bathed in candlelight.

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><p><strong>**Once again, I apoligize for this reeealllyy late update! Feel free to leave ideas of what you'd love to see next in your review! Love you all :)**<strong>

**grapejuice101: Thanks for reviewing! The bloopers were funny, weren't they? :)**

**Chella8181: Thank you for your review! Glad you liked the smut scene and I hope you enjoyed the Paleyfest!**

**SomebodyWhoCares: Thank you for reviewing!**

**KrysGrayMist: Thanks for reviewing! Hope you liked this chapter!**

**Silently Tearful: Thank you for reviewing! I'm so happy to hear that this story is one of your favorites :D I love all of your ideas for upcoming chapters! (I've started writing a bunch actually, hehe!) Planning for the chapters ahead and thanks so much for reviewing again :D**

**xoxobianca13: Thanks girl! Hope you enjoyed this one!**

**21angle: Hehe, you liked that smut, didn't you? ;) I'm glad that you like Kate as a character since she's a made up character. Hope you enjoyed this one!**

**Beckah Godric-Northman: Thank you for reviewing! Glad you like this story and I'm sorry that it took so long to update!**

**Lycan Lover 411: Yum is right! ;) I think any girl would give an arm and a leg to have sex in a dark closet with Ian Somerhalder! (I know I would!) Glad you enjoyed the bloopers and I hope you liked this update!**

**hb8301: Cori, love! Thanks so much for reviewing as always! My smut scenes can take longer than others, but I always manage to come through, right? Hehe love you girl!**

**Blackraven777: Thank you for reviewing! I have watched the Dragon Con panel! So so hilarious and Kate will definitely be in that one! Hope you enjoyed this update!**

**DatGirlDest: Thanks for all of your reviews! (You've reviewed quite a lot!) Ian and Kate are really cute together and they are fun to write :D**

**sarahhxx: Thanks girl! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**OBSESSEDwithPOWERS: Here's some seeeeeeexxxx! Hahaha! Hope you enjoyed the smut and the chapter as well ;)**

**LoveLiveLife22: Thank yoouu :D**

**sweetdreams705: Thanks for reviewing! I'll be doing other panels because they are a lot of fun to write!**

**Nadia: Thanks for your awesome reviews, girl! Really hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Guest: Thank you, darling :D I think all of my stories with Damon/Cassandra tie really nicely into this one and I'm glad that you enjoy them all!**

**Rissa7896: New fav? Woo Hoo! Thanks for reviewing!**

**PetrovaGirl: Gaahh! Here's your update and I'm sorry that it took longer than I expected it to.**

**Blehlove: Thanks for reviewing! I most certainly have not and will not be giving up on this story! I hope you enjoyed this update :)**

**bri: Here's your update girl!**

**PippaLuck: Hello Pippa! I haven't updated this story because I've been suupper busy! I'm currently taking summer classes and that takes up a lot of my time, but I will not give up on this story. It may take me a while to update, but I always do :) Kate is about 22/23 years old, around the same age as the ladies in TVD. And as for a particular actress or photo that I have for Kate, I really don't have one :( You can send me ideas if you'd like! Kisses back to you xoxo**

**Guest: Thanks for reviewing! I agree, it does suck that Ian and Nina broke up in real life! I liked them together a lot!**


	22. That's A Wrap!

**Love Like This**

**Chapter 22: That's a Wrap!**

**Beta: PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Vampire Diaries. I only own my characters and my story.**

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><p>"I wish you didn't have to go." I threw my arms around Sienna and she hugged me back tightly. Unfortunately, her character was killed off on the show and we had to say our goodbyes because Sienna would be heading back to New York. No one was sure of her return, but for now, she had to leave.<p>

"But I've gotta go back home," Sienna told me softly as we broke away from our embrace.

"You can move down here and go to school." I suggested with a cheesy smile and she just giggled at me.

"I miss my mom too, Kate."

"I'll be your mom."

"...that's not creepy at all."

"Oh shush!" I chided and helped her with her things to the gate. I had driven her to the airport and we were watching the planes land and take-off when her boarding was called.

"I guess this is goodbye." Sienna said sadly.

"No," I shook my head. "This is 'I'll see you soon.'" Sienna smiled at that and we hugged each other one last time before I watched her board the plane. I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand and just sat in the boarding area for a while. I watched Sienna grow up on the set of the show and it was so hard to let her go. Her last day of filming was too hard for me to even recall, I didn't want to anyway. I've tried to block it out because I was a mess all day. I missed cues, forgot my lines and I just wasn't myself. Everyone could see it and they tried the best to comfort me, but nothing worked. I was just scared that...if her cancer came back and I wasn't around to be with her. She had been in remission for almost a year and she would always tell me that she was feeling better than she had in years, but a part of me still worried that it would come back. I tried to shake off those gloomy thoughts as I slung my bag over my shoulder and slumped out of the airport. I had my sunglasses on and some paparazzi were there, but I just ignored their questions. I hopped in my car and drove off, the flash of their cameras in my rear view mirror and the stinging of my own tears.

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><p>"That's a pretty color." My body stiffened as I turned next to me to see none other than Elizabeth sitting down in the nail dryer next to me. Normally during shooting we're not allowed to have a color on our nails, but the People's Choice awards were coming up and I had learned that I was nominated for Favorite TV Drama Actress. Needless to say, I was a little surprised...actually I was taken completely off guard. I didn't expect it at all and I was nervous as hell. What if I won? What the hell would I say in my speech? And the worst case scenario...what if I lost? I'm not a sore loser, but I did want to win. I was chosen as a nominee for a reason and I didn't want to let my fans down.<p>

I looked over at Elizabeth and tried to give the most genuine smile as possible. What the hell was she doing in Atlanta?! And out of all of the nail salons in Atlanta, why did she come to mine?!

"Thanks! With filming I never get to have my nails done." I replied. "I hate not having polish on my nails."

"Oh, me too." She agreed and showed me her color. "It's from the new Essie collection."

"Ooh, pretty!" I smiled. This woman had to be a fake. Never in all of the times I've seen or been in the same room as Elizabeth has she ever been this nice. I was waiting for Ashton Kutcher to fall out of the ceiling to tell me that I was being punked, but that didn't happen.

"So, what are you doing in Atlanta?" I asked curiously as I looked down at my drying nails.

"I actually have some time off and I decided to visit some people." She shrugged.

"Very cool." I nodded and really hoped the timer on the dryer would click off soon so I could remove myself from this awkward situation. "I'm nominated for-"

"People's Choice? I know! I read it on Twitter." Was she stalking my Twitter now?! "Congratulations! I hope you win it!" She was actually smiling at me and I didn't like it one bit, so I guess I decided to be blunt about it.

"Why are you being nice to me? You don't like me." That seemed to catch her off guard and she sighed heavily.

"Okay, I just felt bad after what happened at that signing. I was a complete bitch and I kinda expected to be given special treatment." She explained and I just listened. Elizabeth was speaking her peace and as much as I didn't like her, I'd listen. "I'm sorry. I just...okay, Ian and I had a little fling a few years back and I still kinda miss him." My eyes went wide at that. Ian never told me anything about Elizabeth. "I don't have any intentions of getting back together with him because we had a long talk about it and I know that it's over."

I just continued to listen, mainly because I was speechless. My vocal chords were all tangled together and I felt a lump gathering in my throat. Why would Ian lie to me? I had asked him about Elizabeth and he just told me that they were friends. This news of a fling was all new to me and I just wanted to know from him if it was true or not. I tried not to get suspicious of it, after all, Elizabeth could be lying through her teeth, but a small doubt was now planted in my mind.

"But listen, I just wanted to come clean and apologize for everything. I shouldn't have let my heart get in the way, but I loved him. I really did, but I was young and stupid when we did what we did." Elizabeth said and I heard my dryer click off, but I was rooted to my seat. "I have never seen Ian so happy and that's all because of you. I hope that we can just put all of our bad blood behind us and be friends."

I stared back at her, unsure of what to say. I didn't want to let my guard down because for all I knew, this was all an act and she was trying to worm her way into my life. But at the same time she was swallowing her pride to come and apologize to me.

Luckily I didn't have to answer because my phone blared loudly from beside me. I looked down at it and remembered that Ian and I had a lunch date today.

"Oh shit! I, uhm, I have an appointment right now, but..."

"That's okay. I know I probably overwhelmed you today, but I just wanted to start over with a clean slate." She told me and I hurriedly gathered my things while trying not to smudge my manicure and pedicure.

Now that should be an Olympic sport.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm willing to start from a clean slate if you are." I said and she smiled at that.

"Great! Thanks so much, Kate." I couldn't help but get the feeling that I was making a huge mistake by trusting her, but my phone alarm rang again.

"Crap! I'm sorry, but I have to go." I mumbled and literally ran out of the nail salon.

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><p>Walking to the restaurant where I was meeting Ian, my head was reeling. I trusted Ian with everything I had, but this new information made me second guess everything. Why would he lie and not tell me about Elizabeth? I mean, what he did before he met me is his business, but Ian swore to me that he would be honest with me. I could feel a headache coming on as I opened the door to the restaurant and I brushed past the cheery hostess. I saw Ian waiting for me and he stood, moving to pull out my chair.<p>

"Hi beautiful." He kissed me gently, but I couldn't even enjoy it.

"Hey," I said. "Sorry I'm late."

"That's alright. How was your manicure?" He asked and gestured for me to sit.

"It was really nice." My stomach was twisting violently and my hands were twitching. I had to tell him now before I exploded. "Guess who I saw at the nail salon?" I asked as I sat down.

Ian gave me a curious look and helped push in my chair. "Who?"

I waited for him to sit down before I spilled the beans. "Elizabeth."

His face immediately fell at that and I could tell that he was getting agitated. "Was she bothering you?" I had to admit, he was making it hard to get mad at him when he was clearly caring about me.

"No, she was actually really...sweet." I replied and prepared myself to drop the bomb. "We talked about how you two had a 'thing.'"

"A 'thing?'" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Don't play dumb, Ian. She told me that you two were hot and heavy." I hissed.

"That's a lie." He defended.

"Why didn't you tell me? I thought that we were going to be honest with each other about everything?" I crossed my arms across my chest.

"I was honest with you, Kate. I always have been."

"Then why am I just hearing about this now?" I asked and he stared back at me before looking over his shoulder. People were starting to look at us because we were causing a scene and he got up from the table.

"Let's talk a walk." He said calmly and offered his hand to me. I took a deep breath and grasped his hand.

Just across from the restaurant was a quaint park where people were having picnics and walking their dogs. We were walking along the gravel path, the rocks crushing together beneath our feet. It was shrouded by shade from the trees hanging over it and would be a nice hideaway from any paparazzi. The walk was supposed to be calming, but my stomach was in knots. I didn't know what to expect from this, so I just stayed quiet.

"What do you want to know about me and Elizabeth?" His question caught me off guard and I didn't answer. "Well, then I'll start at the beginning. I met her when I got into the modeling business. I'll admit, I had a crush on her, but she never seemed to like me back. I did everything I could to get her to notice me, but nothing worked. A few years went by and I grew out of my crush for her, but then she noticed me. She started to hang onto me a lot, but I didn't like it. She'd always try to kiss me or flirt with me, but I get turned off by that. I told her that I just wanted to be friends and she flipped."

I took it all in, finally hearing Ian's side of the story and it was very different from Elizabeth's. "Then what?"

"We went our separate ways. I started filming Lost and she continued modeling. I never saw her until when filming for the first season of The Vampire Diaries started. We were at the same party together and got to talking. We kinda reconciled everything. She told me that she was over me and we just left it at that.

"And what about that fling she told me about?" I asked.

"It never happened, Kate." Ian shook his head. "I don't think Elizabeth ever got over me and I think her seeing me with you makes her jealous."

"She should be jealous. I'm dating the hottest man in the world." I smiled and Ian did too. We had stopped walking and we sat under a tree. Ian took my hand, squeezing it firmly.

"Kate, I would never ever lie to you. I told you that I wanted an honest relationship and I promise that I will be honest with you." The look in his blue eyes said it all. Maybe I was stupid. Maybe I was a fool, but I was a stupid fool in love.

"I love you." I smiled and he drew me closer to him.

"I love you too, Kate." He whispered against my lips and gave me a kiss that would have made my knees buckle if I was standing.

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><p>"And your choice for Favorite TV Drama Actress is..." I held my breath as I watched Liam Hemsworth open the envelope. Poised right next to him was Jenifer Lawrence and I was about ready to pass out. My short navy blue and black sequined dress was so tight that I swore my body was turning purple and my black strappy heels made my feet hurt. I'd gotten all dolled up for tonight and I looked like a million bucks, but I could barely enjoy it since I was a bundle of nerves the entire night. Ian squeezed my hand tightly and for a moment, I'd almost forgotten that he was sitting next to me. It was like time had stood still and for a few moments all I heard was silence aside from my heartbeat which was ringing in my ears. Ian whispered something to me, but I couldn't catch it. I wish I did, but it seemed like my entire film career managed to flash before my eyes. Was I good enough? Should I have done some things differently? I had never won anything before, so this award was huge! The fact that I was even nominated was a shock to me! Even if I lost, it was still amazing to be recognized for my work. I knew that I had fans, but did I have enough for me to win this award?<p>

"Kate Walker!"

Oh.

My.

God.

"That's me." I whispered to myself.

"That's you." Ian squeezed my hand a little more to wake me up from my daze and I looked up to the stage where they were showing clips from the show behind Liam and Jen. I cracked a smile and let out a sigh of relief as the audience began to applaud. Now came the true test. Getting up out of my seat, walking to the stairs, walking up the stairs and accepting my award without dropping it. You see, for the Teen Choice Awards it was easy, we were backstage and all we had to do was walk out. This felt like a damn obstacle course and I prayed that I wouldn't fall on my face or say something really stupid. I had gotten up on stage very gracefully, thank god, and I hugged Liam and Jen before accepting my award. I stood in front of the microphone and if it didn't hit me that I had won before, it certainly did now. Looking out at all of those people was mind-blowing. I took a deep breath and waited for them to stop cheering before beginning my speech which I had prepared, but it had somehow managed to slip out of my head.

Of course.

"Wow!" I started. Thank God my voice didn't crack! "This is absolutely amazing! I can't even believe this!" My hands were trembling and I was clutching the award tightly. _Don't drop it, don't drop it, don't drop it!_ "I know that people say that this moment is surreal and it sounds cliché, but it really is. I am just speechless right now and I have to give a huge 'thank you' to the fans out there." My eyes found Ian's and I was smiling even more, almost crying actually. "Because without you guys, I would not be here and the show would not be what it is. So, thank you so, so much and I can take this award back to Atlanta where my VD family is and to the cast and crew who make the show possible. I love you guys so much! Thank you!" I waved and blew a little kiss before being escorted off the stage with Liam and Jen. I was still shaking and I started giggling while standing backstage.

"Congratulations." I looked up to see Jennifer Lawrence smiling at me and I had to keep my inner fan girl inside of me.

"Thanks so much. I'm a huge fan of your work. You are so talented." I babbled and she laughed a little.

"Thanks!" She gave me a hug and I saw Ian approaching us from over her shoulder.

"Hey, you ready to go?" He asked. As much as I wanted to stay and soak up this moment, Ian and I had a flight back to Atlanta like...now.

"Yeah, let's go." I took my bag from him and we rushed out of the People's Choice Awards to our limo that was parked by the side entrance. Of course fans were waiting for us, but had to jump on that flight in order to make it to work. Once the door of the limo was closed, Ian's lips were pressed to mine and I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck. It was soft and sweet, leaving me breathless and wanting more, but I wasn't about to let the limo driver know what we were up to.

"I've been waiting to do that all night." He smiled against my lips

"I wish you didn't have to wait." I said and toyed with the hair at the back of his neck.

"I know." Ian hummed and I cuddled next to him for our ride to the airport. At times I did wish that we were more public with our relationship, but we had both agreed that it would just be easier for us to keep things are private as possible. I was a still a girl at heart and wanted other people to see us holding hands or sharing kisses as we went on walks along the beach, but being in the public eye made things harder for us.

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><p>"Uhm, should I put this in the suitcase or carry-on?" I asked and placed my People's Choice award on the baggage check counter. Ian and the clerk behind the desk chuckled and he told me that I could carry it on the plan with me. I had a carry-on, so I just decided to stuff it in there. I made sure it was protected by wrapping it one of my blankets.<p>

"What?" I looked at Ian who was shaking his head at me. "I like to take my own blankets with me when I travel." It was a little quirk I had; maybe it was because my parents were always so well prepared whenever we traveled. I had changed into more comfortable clothes since I wanted to sleep on the plane, but I was too excited to even think about falling asleep. As I returned back to my seat, I had to hurdle over Ian who had fallen asleep and I sunk down in my seat. I leaned over and gently kissed his cheek and snuggled into him. I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder and I stuck my earphones in my ears, playing some music. Somewhere along the trip, I must have fallen asleep because both Ian and I were awakened by a stewardess telling us that we had landed.

Arriving at set, I was greeted by the cast and crew who had thrown a little party for me. There were cupcakes and all kinds of goodies for everyone to eat and we were all taking pictures with my award. Throughout the day we were filming and eating and eating and filming. All in all it was a really nice day and it was amazing to come home too. I did consider everyone in the cast and crew as my second family and they always supported me in anything I did. I loved them all and it was nice to be back and working again. Sure, after some 4am filming days, I'd wish that I was on vacation again, but this was my life now and I was just enjoying living it.

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><p>Bloopers<p>

_Smells Like Teen Spirit_

"Well, you two had your own fun last night, so I figured that I'd indulge a little." Paul smirked as he watched some extra girls play Twister with blood on their bodies. Ian and I gave a disgusted look and I crossed my arms over my satin robe. "Besides, you guys were so loud that I could barely hear myself think. You mind keeping it down?"

I glared at Paul, gnashing my teeth at him. "I hope our fun kept you up all night." Ian's hand snaked comfortingly around my waist. "If you weren't being a 'grade A' dick than you-gah! Crap, I messed up my line! I giggled like crazy and made some noises that would help to relax my facial muscles. Most of those included blowing raspberries or just going "blah, blah, blah!" You sound so stupid, but it helps to recover from the embarrassment of tripping over your own tongue. Paul laughed too, shaking his head and I gave a pout. "Damn I'm sorry. Can we do that again?"

"Nope." Ian shook his head and suddenly picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder.

"Wait, no! Ian! Put me down!" I giggled and looked to Paul for help who was just sitting and laughing on the couch.

"Damon's taking Cassandra back upstairs." Paul chuckled.

_Heart of Darkness_

"I know, but I figured I'd help you." Ian smirked. "Ooh, are these new?" I looked over my shoulder to see him playing with a pair of lace panties and I rolled my eyes. Before I was supposed to snatch the panties from him, Ian was noshing on them. They were stuffed in his mouth and he was pretending to eat them.

"You know that I had Paul wear those right?" I joked and Ian spit out the panties, wiping his mouth.

"Oh man!"

"Alright, let's cut! Go back to the beginning please."

_1912_

"You are in love with my brother." Claire sneered and my fists clenched at my sides, anger rushing through me.

"No." I gritted, staring her down. "I was in the past, but not now."

"Maybe so, but you still feel something for him." The blonde pressed and I was so into being angry at Claire, that my line flew right out of my brain. For a few moments, the two of us just stood in silence, staring each other down. This scene would be great if it was a silent scene, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was.

My angry expression broke and I shook my head, laughing out loud. "Shit. What is my line?"

Someone off set fiddled with a script before reading the line to me. "I don't!"

"Jesus, Claire!" I threw my hands up exasperatedly. "You couldn't feed that to me?!"

Claire was too busy trying not to giggle, but it wasn't working out too well for her. "I'm sorry."

"Let's reset please." The director said and I mumbled to myself as we reset our positions.

"Now, you're wasting time and money because you couldn't feed me a damn line."

"Shh!"

"I mean, seriously?!"

"Stop that! I'm trying to stay in character!"

"Everyone!" I shouted. "Claire is trying to stay in character!"

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><p>Season 3 came and went much quicker than I'd liked it to be. I was pretty bummed about it because it was a killer season—especially because Cassandra had died in the finale.<p>

Yup. Died.

After the finale aired, there was a CW conference where reporters and television news anchors would try to squeeze answers out of the actors. I unfortunately wasn't there because my character was dead. So, I was sitting up in my hotel room snuggled up on the couch with a glass of wine, Chinese food, and a blanket.

Heaven.

I would have been much happier if Ian was with me, but when it came to the show, business was business. I would text him throughout the night, checking in and he'd always reply that he couldn't wait to fall into bed when he got home. I agreed immensely. Being an actor, you rarely get to sleep. Especially filming the Vampire Diaries, we would sometimes be shooting at 3, 4, or 5 in the morning. Whenever we had a break and weren't doing press work, we'd be sleeping! It was an exhausting job, but I loved every single second of it. My phone buzzed from in my lap and I peered down at it, smiling like an idiot.

_I miss you xoxo_

I sent back something along the lines of missing him too and he quickly replied.

_I want you ;)_

Well, who I was I to not take up this opportunity.

_Keep it in your pants, Smolder. I'll see you soon ;)_

I couldn't wait to see him.

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><p><strong>Smut will be in the next one, so stay tuned ;) Please review and if you haven't already, please check out my newest story <em>A Drop in the Ocean<em> and review :)  
><strong>


	23. Dragon Con

**Love Like This**

**Chapter 23: Dragon Con**

**Beta:**** PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing of TVD. I only own my characters and my story.**

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><p>It was the gentle brush of Ian's lips against my stomach that jostled me from my dreams, but I still felt like I was dreaming so I kept my eyes closed and I enjoyed the numbing sensations. His lips trailed up my body and his hands skimmed under my tank top, making me shiver and actually wake up. With bleary, sleepy eyes, I peered down at Ian who was grinning goofily and playing with my tank top.<p>

"Someone's in the mood to play," I giggled quietly and helped Ian to take off my shirt. His lips immediately went to my breast, suckling and swiping at it with his tongue and teeth while his hand kneaded and massaged the other. I frantically worked at the buttons of his shirt, eventually just ripping it off him and throwing it to the floor.

"I liked that shirt." He mumbled against my swollen breast.

"Shut up." I yanked his hair when his teeth caught my nipple, a sharp yet pleasurable pain running through me. "Fuck, babe!"

Ian's hungry blue eyes peered up at me and his tongue swiped over my raw nipple. "I couldn't wait to get home. All I wanted was to get home and make you mine."

I blushed, giggling a little and I bit my bottom lip. "So do it. Make me yours."

"Oh, I intend to." Normally, Ian was always the one making all of the moves, but tonight was a little different. I knew that he was drunk; I could smell the alcohol on his breath, so it was easier to get him to submit a little. I pinned him to the mattress and snatched up a condom from a drawer in the bedside table. I quickly ripped it open with my teeth and discarded the wrapper onto the floor along with our clothes. Crawling down his godlike body, I held his gaze the entire time as I slid the condom on his rigid length. I climbed up onto his hips, rubbing my lower lips against him to tease him and it had the desired outcome. He was moaning and groaning loudly, trying to slip his cock inside me.

"What did you say? I didn't quite catch that." I quipped hearing a mumbled mess leave his lips. A hard whack came into contact with my behind and I yelped out.

"I said, fuck me." Ian growled heatedly and I took his cock in my hand, slowly sliding him inside me. I sunk down on him fully and Ian's head thrashed against the pillows. I shivered above him and played with my breasts while waiting to get adjusted to him stretching me.

"Oh, Ian. You feel so good inside me." I whimpered. I would never get used to feeling him stretch and pound me. I loved every second of it.

"Fuck, Kate. Please, move." Ian begged, his eyes closed in complete ecstasy and his hips began to pulsate. Nodding, I swiveled my hips against his, making tight snapping motions. With each thrust he brushed my most sensitive spot and I convulsed on top of him. I was ready to explode and we hadn't even started. I needed to get off, so I palmed my breasts in my hands, my fingers flicking at the nipples, making them pebble into hard points. My swivels were becoming tiring, so I decided to bounce on Ian instead. With his help, his hands held my hips and I bounced on top of his glistening cock.

"You like it when I fuck you?" I hushed and his blue eyes opened, staring right into mine.

Ian nodded quickly, another wave of tremors passing through him. "You're so fucking sexy, baby. You fuck me so good. Keep going, just like that." I bounced harder on him, the sounds of our wet skin slapping and our moans echoed off the walls of his apartment. I was getting tired in his position, so I stopped and turned myself around on him, my behind facing him. Just using my lower body, my hips thrust down on him while my upper body took a rest. I knew that I couldn't see Ian from my new position, but I could feel his hungry eyes on me. His hands groped my behind, grabbing and brushing over the skin.

"God, spank me, Ian." I whispered and his large hand gave me three quick swats.

"Such a naughty girl. You love getting your ass smacked, don't you?" I nodded, letting out a small whimper, but that earned me some harder spanks. "Don't you?"

"Yes! I love it so much! It hurts, but it feels so good." I panted. "Please, Ian, I need to come."

"Lean back." He instructed and it took some flexibility on my part, but I was able to completely lean myself back so I was lying on top of him. It was a really odd position and I had to giggle at how stupid we probably looked, but my giggles were quickly turned into moans of pleasure when Ian wrapped his arms around mine, pinning me down to him. We were impossibly close now, my back pressed against his toned chest. Ian took the reins since it was hard for me to move and he thrust upward inside me. I threw my head back, careful not to hit Ian and I was quickly a writhing mess. He was moving so fast that I couldn't even register what was going on. All I could hear was our loud moans and I could feel Ian's hot breath at my ear.

"Oh my God! Oh, Ian! Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me!" I chanted as my coil tightened even more if that was possible. I clawed at whatever piece of skin I could find on him and he growled loudly.

"That's right. Scream, baby girl. Let everyone know who fucks you so good." His rough voice made me clench around him, I was done for if he kept talking to me like this. I gasped as his tongue worked over the shell of my ear and writhed when he bit my earlobe suddenly.

"You're an animal." I hushed under my breath and I heard Ian's gruff chuckle in my ear.

"I think you're the animal, Kate. You're a sexy little minx who loves to tease her man." One of his hands, while still keeping my arm looped with his, snaked down my body to seek out my clit and he strummed it a few times.

"Ian..." My body was trembling, I didn't know how much longer I could take this kind of pleasurable torture.

"Tell me how I feel inside you, baby. I wanna hear it." He begged and I composed myself for a few seconds before speaking.

"You fill me up to the brim. No matter how much you play with me with your fingers and mouth, it's not enough. Your cock stretches me and it feels so good." I could barely get the words out because I was panting like I had run a 5K, but Ian must have approved because I heard a hum of approval against my neck.

"Keep going, Kate. I'm so close." He sounded desperate to get off and so was I. His fingers continued to work my clit while his thrusts became just a tad bit faster.

"I...I can't even think straight when you fuck me. I love it when it's like this. Rough and demanding. You're so sexy when you take command. It makes me even wetter. Ooh, Ian!" My body suddenly undulated, signaling that the damns were going to break. His grip tightened on me, keeping us pinned together so closely that we might just fall into one another's bodies. "Please, Ian! I am so fucking close!"

"You ready for me? I'm going to cum so hard, baby." Maybe it was his voice in my ear, or his sweaty skin on mine, or how he roughly pounded inside me, or his fingers working on my clit so sensitive it was becoming painful. Perhaps it was a combination of all of those things, but I came and I came hard. I rode out my orgasm, still thrusting my hips and I felt Ian doing the same. He twitched and jerked inside the grips of my wet walls and I let out a loud scream. Even my walls were clenching and unclenching sporadically around him and Ian's fingers and roaring moans were making it occur at an alarming rate. I was gasping and whimpering, trying to claw his hand away from my clit because I would never stop cumming if he continued to play with me. Ian chuckled and stopped, unlinking our arms and I immediately fell off and to the side of him. My body crashed into the mattress face down and I quietly purred to myself, still reeling from the sensations of Ian's cock inside me. I then felt him looming over my tired body and his hands then trailed over the expanse of my behind and back. I curled even more into my pillow and let out a moan.

"Look, Ian, I know that we..." I shivered once his tongue joined in on mapping out my body. "Play supernatural characters on TV, but that doesn't mean we have supernatural stamina."

Ian laughed long and hard at that comment, mostly because I couldn't get through it without moaning or gasping out. Even after our fuck session, his touch still set me on fire and I craved more even though my body was clearly exhausted.

"You're adorable, you know that?" He kissed behind my ear.

"I try." I mumbled. "But I'm also trying to go to sleep and you keep ruining that." Ian settled beside me, hugging my limp body to his and all I remember is falling right to sleep in his arms.

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><p><strong>Dragon Con<strong>

I crossed my legs under the table and adjusted my name tag on the table. My eyes scanned all of the fans in the room, cameras flashed and people chattered excitedly, ready for the convention to start. I had decided on wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, a button-down shirt and a long necklace to pretty up my look. We were all dressed casually considering that this convention wasn't like Paleyfest. Trust me, I was not complaining at all. I loved being comfy and it helped especially on a long day like today. Nate flicked at my name tag and I scoffed at him. Some fans who caught the quick movement chuckled and I picked up my name tag and smacked his shoulder with it. Nate whined playfully and Sebastian gave me a high five. Down table sat Nate, myself, Sebastian, Joseph, Ian and Paul. The convention started and the fans crowded closer, hoping to catch photos and videos of us for blogs or entertainment websites.

"Can I just say that Kate Walker is the only girl up here?" The announcer jeered. Unfortunately, Nina, Candice, and Kat were busy with other projects, so they couldn't make it to this convention. I happily accepted seeing that I wasn't busy with other things and I always thought that it was important for me to connect with my fans in any way that I could.

"Yes sir!" I exclaimed with a bright smile.

"You say that like you're happy about it." He added.

"I am! I love these boys!" I wrapped my arms around Nate's shoulders and he jokingly leaned away from me.

"You can hug me, darling." Sebastian was trying to pry me off Nate. I gave him a hug and rose from my seat to go after Paul, knowing how he'd react, and like clockwork he just stared at me, ready to run.

"Paul is so mean to me." I pouted and sat back down. "But seriously, these guys make it so much fun to come to work every day and I wish I was able to do more scenes with Nate and Sebastian because they are so amazing and I've learned a lot from them."

"That's right, you don't have a lot of scenes with them." The announcer said.

"We only had one, I believe." Sebastian said. "The Homecoming episode at the dance. When Mikael and Klaus square off and I had Nina and Joseph had Kate. I think it would have been hot if they said, let's skip out on the dance and we all have an orgy." The audience erupted into thunderous laughter and whistles while Joseph and I exchanged blushes.

"I don't know if Julie would go for that." Paul muttered, stifling his laughter.

"Why not? I would!" Sebastian waved his hands around.

"You see, this panel goes south very quickly." Ian said. "That's why they call it VD." After we calmed down, the announcer allowed fans to ask questions.

"So, Kate, who will it be? Elena or Katherine?"

I tilted my head side to side, as if to weight both sides of the equation. "I mean, it really depends on the day. Like Elena is sweet and innocent while Katherine is seductive and sexy."

"Come on! We need a better answer than that!" Nate jeered.

"Okay, if I want gentle love making then I'd pick Elena, but if I want balls to the wall sex then I'd pick Katherine." The panel and the audience laughed at that. It was true! Even when I was with Ian, some nights I wanted it to be sweet and other nights I wanted it rough. It really does all depend on the mood you're in. Either way, sex with Ian was incredible no matter what.

"High five, darling!" Sebastian held up his hand and I smacked it.

"I think Cassandra and Katherine would be pretty hot though." Paul admitted.

"I'm right there with you, brother." Ian high fived Paul and I playfully glared at them. I quickly pulled out my phone and propped it up in my lap. I sent a quick text to Ian, being as discrete as possible. The text I sent read: _So, you think Nina and I would be hot? ;)_

It was meant as a total joke and the grin on Ian's face when he read it only showed that he took it as a joke too. We would all poke fun at the idea of different characters being together on the show. I guess it was because all of us read fan fictions or stories online with different character combinations.

My phone buzzed in my lap and I checked it. It was a text from Ian which read: _I think you and I would be hotter._

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help myself from grinning widely. I replied with: _Obviously! Besides, we both know how jealous you get._

It had been a little thing that I had noticed here and there on occasion. Whenever we were out after filming or at events and there were other guys around, Ian would get protective and even a little jealous when I was talking with other guys. I would strictly do it to be nice and cordial because let's face it, in this business, it's all about who you know and how you treat people. Some of these guys would definitely flirt with me; some would be very obvious about it even when Ian was standing right there. I'd see his jaw clench or I'd feel his hand tightening around my waist, but I'd always assure him after that I had no interest in other guys. I loved Ian with all of my heart and soul. I wouldn't dare mess it up.

_Can you blame me? I've got the most beautiful girl and I don't want to share her._

"Kate?"

My eyes snapped up from my lap to see every looking at me. I blushed and toyed with my hair. "I'm sorry, what? I totally fogged out."

"We know." Nate smirked and reached for my phone. "Who are you texting?"

"No one." I giggled coyly and sent back my reply before slipping my phone back in my pocket. "Okay, what was the question?"

"If you could be another character from the show, who would it be?"

"Hmm, I think I would want to be Kol." I replied.

Nate leaned over the table to curiously look at me. "Why?"

"Because Kol is such a cheeky little bastard." I immediately covered my mouth as soon as the last word left my lips. The audience oohed, laughing and chuckling along with the panel and I blushed. "Sorry! I have to watch my language."

"We've all heard a lot worse." Paul shrugged and we all had to nod at that statement. Being around each other all the time, we got to hear a lot. And I mean a lot. I didn't mind it at all, I had a little bit of a sailor's mouth and I tried to curb it when I did interviews or met with fans.

"Now, we have all seen the season 3 finale and, Kate, we need some kind of reassurance that Cassandra will come back." The announcer said.

"Well, she is dead. There is no question about it, but we all know that Cassandra is a fighter and being dead won't stop her from getting what she wants." I explained.

"And I think the scene where Cassandra dies was probably the saddest thing I've ever seen." He added. "I mean, along with Alaric as well. Tell us about that."

"Cassandra's death was heartbreaking to shoot. I was talking with Ian about it and he told me that it was like watching a person literally wither away and die. That was the direction that the directors and writers wanted us to go in." I said and it was very odd to me how the room had gotten so quiet. These people were all fans of the show and it was incredible how much the death of a fictional character hit them. It hit me hard as an actress because it was a place I had never been before, but for them, it was like watching their good friend die.

"Yeah, I was wrecked for weeks when I saw the playback." Ian chimed in. "It's just...I mean, think about it. These two were in love when they were human, very much in love. Then them being turned into vampires kinda pushed them apart and somehow they still managed to find their way back to one another. It's a really powerful and beautiful thing that Damon and Cassandra have. It's very special and genuine. When Damon is holding her in his arms and he's watching her die, it's like he is dying with her. A piece of his soul dies along with her."

"I need a tissue." I sniffled and some audience members giggled. "I'm sorry, but I am a total mush and I get sad at anything."

The moderator kindly passed me some tissues and I dabbed my tears, careful not to mess up my makeup. "Now, Kate, is there anything you can give us about season 4?"

"Well, I can't give too much away, but I can say that Cassandra won't take being dead lightly. She will meet someone on the Other Side who offers her a deal and she has to decide if she takes it or not. And both sides of that deal have consequences that she might not be so happy about doing. It's a double edged sword and Cassandra has to figure out which side of the deal she'll take." I replied. Some people chattered excitedly, whispering and speculating about what possibly could happen.

The rest of the convention went as planned and we shared lots of laughs throughout the day. Afterwards, we were able to take photos with fans and sign autographs. That was the part I loved the most. A young girl who looked about seventeen walked shakily up to me and she had tears in her eyes. This was relatively normal because most fans were just so awestruck that they would start crying even if they weren't sad. Hell, I know if I met anyone famous that I would start crying. Her black hair was pulled off her face into a ponytail and she fiddled with the bracelets on her wrists.

"Hi sweetheart. What's your name?" I asked as I took her poster to sign.

"I'm Christine. Oh my God, I've waited so long to meet you. I am such a huge fan of your work." She smiled and wiped away her tears.

I swirled my name and wrote hearts around it. "Thank you so much! I really appreciate it." Christine then took a steadying breath as if trying to calm herself from crying, but she broke down. I slowly stood up from my table and wrapped my arms around her. "Oh, please don't cry. Now you're gonna make me cry." I joked.

Christine pulled back from me and whispered. "I know that this is weird to say, but I used to cut and watching you and your character on the show really helped me get through some tough times in my life." I stood in complete shock as she pulled up her bracelets, revealing faded scars from where she sliced her skin. "You...you really helped me and I don't know how to thank you." I gently grasped Christine's wrists and held them, unsure of what to say. How could it be that my character from a television show was able to help her? I was just so shaken to my core and I wished that no one would ever have to go through the pain of cutting. I had never met someone who cut and the very thought of slicing my skin made my stomach curdle, but to some people it was a way of coping. I didn't agree with it, but to them it felt better to feel pain. It made me wonder what had to go so wrong in Christine's life to make her harm herself.

"You may not realize it, but you guys help me through my tough times too." I started and my voice shook with tears. "I am so sorry that you ever had to go through hard times, but I am so honored that I was able to help you. You don't need to thank me, but promise me that you won't do this to yourself again."

Christine nodded furiously and hugged me again. "I promise."

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><p>After leaving the convention hall, we all decided to head out for a night on the town and we hit up the bars and clubs to dance and have a drink or two. I needed it after today. I enjoyed working on the show a lot, but some days it did get to me and it was nice to go out and relax. Once again, I was the only girl at the table, but I made sure that I was sitting next to Ian. I sat on his lap and we canoodled while the music played loudly. My arms were wrapped around his neck and his hands were at my waist. We looked pretty comfy together and Nate kept making fun of us being cute. I stuck my tongue out at him and Ian patted my behind before kissing my neck.<p>

"Get a room, mate." Both Joseph and Nate groaned.

"Oh shush!" I teased.

I felt the stubble of Ian's chin brush against my ear and I blushed beat red. "How about we continue this at home?"

"Sure." I bit my lip and kissed him passionately. As much as I loved spending time with the guys, I was ready to spend some quality time with my man. We both stood and he gave me a kiss on the cheek before going to get the car. I waited with the guys inside when Ian texted me to come out. "Anyone else need a ride?"

"I do." Joseph said and we both headed for the door after saying goodbye to everyone. Making our way outside, we reached the side door of the club in hopes of it being quiet. We were lucky that no one was outside, so I leaned up against the wall with Joseph standing opposite me. We just talked for a little, laughing about what happened today and about the show in general.

"But I think that Klaus should have his own show." I told him excitedly.

"I agree! I've been badgering Julie about it." He nodded.

"I mean, it could be about the Original family and stuff. There's so much that they could play on. I'll talk with Julie too. You know her, she keeps ideas quiet, but she's always thinking of something awesome." When it came to writers, you weren't going to get any better than Julie and the entire team. Everyone put their heart and soul into writing and production for the show, but it annoyed me that viewers could be so cruel whenever something didn't go their way. That's the point of a show, to make things interesting and to gauge emotion even if it was anger or sadness. I hated that people would be so petty as to stop watching a show just because certain characters didn't hook up or if something that they didn't want to happen, happened. Ian pulled up in the car shortly after and Joseph wrapped his arm around mind to help me get in like any gentleman would do, and we drove off. The rocking motion of the car was quickly putting me to sleep and as soon as we dropped off Joseph at his place, Ian made his way to ours. I could see that he was nearly sleep walking as we made our way upstairs and I flopped down on the bed as soon as we set foot in the apartment.

"I don't want to move. Too...lazy." I groaned.

"Come on, you don't wanna wrinkle your clothes." Ian chided and pulled me off the bed. I started to remove my clothes piece by piece when Ian asked what happened with the girl at the convention today. I noticed that he kept glancing over at us, but he kept quiet.

"She used to cut herself, but she told me that the show really helped her." I replied and pulled on a long t-shirt. "It was so sad, but I hope that she can stay strong through everything."

"It is sad that people feel like they have no one to turn to, but I'm happy that you were able to help her." He said. "You know, you're pretty awesome."

I smiled at that and jumped on the bed. "I try. I put everything into my work and I just want people to like it."

"How could they not?" Ian leaned over the bed and kissed me gently. "You're beautiful." He gave me another kiss. "And sweet." Another. "And very, very sexy." I giggled and wrapped my arms around him.

"You are too good for me." I told him.

"You deserve it, babe." He kissed the tip of my nose.

"Get changed and come to bed." I grinned and he met it.

"Of course." He quickly got out of his clothes and hopped into bed with me. His warm body cradled against mine and I laid my head on his chest. I was just about to fall asleep when I felt his lips on the top of my head. "How about you and I go away for a little while?"

I leaned up and met his gaze. "Like a vacation?"

Ian smiled warmly at me and toyed with my hair. "Exactly like a vacation."

"I would love to." I kissed his lips softly. A vacation sounded wonderful and a vacation with Ian sounded even better. "Somewhere warm with a beach? And I get to see you in a bathing suit?"

"As long as I get to see you in yours." He smirked and I held up my pinky. Ian linked his around mine and brought my hand to his so he could kiss it. That night I had dreams of lying on a white sandy beach and soaking up the sun. I needed to work on my tan anyways; Cassandra was getting a little too pale.

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><p><strong>*looks around* Is anyone still here? I am so sorry for the late update, but classes have been crazy and I start student teaching in a month. Stressed is an understatement of how I'm feeling, but I am going to try hard to keep writing because it keeps me sane. All of the love for this story is really incredible and words cannot describe how thankful I am for every single person who readsreviews my stories. So, it looks like Ian and Kate will be going on a vaca! Wherever shall they go? Pairs, maybe? I hope you all enjoyed the Dragon Con chapter and please leave a review :D**

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><p><strong>grapejuice101:<strong> Thanks for the review, girl :)

**SomebodyWhoCares:** Here's your update! Hope you enjoyed it!

**Silently Tearful:** Thank you for reviewing! Hope that you enjoyed this update and so sorry that it took so long!

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**21angle:** Thanks chica xoxo!

**damonsgirl98:** Hi there! Thanks for reviewing! I have put "Sweet About Me" on hiatus for now because I am thinking about what I could do with it. I am not sure when it will be updated next :( So, please be patient with me

**Guest: **Here's your update :) Sorry that it took so long :(

**Guest: **Thanks for the review! Wooaahh! That is a really good idea! I will definitely look into it! Thank you for the suggestion!

**Seira asami: **Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad that you found this story and that you like it! I wish it was all real too!

**Lycan Lover 411: **HAHA! Elizabitch ;-P I love that nickname! I like writing the bloopers too! I can't wait to do the season 4 ones because those were really funny!

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**lovinurbuks: **Hi girl! I am so sorry that I didn't get a chance to update for your birthday, but here is an update for you! I hope that you had a wonderful birthday *cupcakes* :) xoxo

**phuong1317: **So glad that you're liking this story! I love the behind the scenes aspect of the show and it is even more awesome to write it!


	24. Together In Paris

**Love Like This**

**Chapter 24: Together in Paris**

**Beta:****PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:****I own nothing of TVD or TO. I only own my characters and my plot.**

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><p>Meow.<p>

No, not yet.

Meow.

Too...early...

Meow!

I cracked my eyes open and looked over the edge of the bed to see a ginger tabby sitting on the floor. I smiled at him and he hopped up on the bed next to me. I slumped tiredly against the pillows and the cat sat beside me, his tail whipping back and forth.

"Hey Moke." I pet his head, scratching behind his ears and he stretched out even further on the bed. Moke was Ian's cat that he had rescued off the set of Lost and if I thought meeting Ian's parents was a big deal, Moke would be my biggest critic. He was cautious around me when I had first met him, but once we spent some time together, Moke took a liking to me and I, to him. He was just a big cuddle ball like his daddy.

Moke purred lowly and his eyes fell closed. "You wanna be lazy? Yeah, me too." I looked over to see Ian sleeping peacefully beside me, his arm over his eyes to block out the sun. I leaned up on my elbow, gazing dreamily at him and my stomach grumbled. Moke meowed loudly and pawed at my side. "How about we get daddy to make us breakfast?" I grinned and Moke trotted over to Ian, pawing at him and meowing loudly as if to say "Wake up, dad!" And I giggled hearing Ian groan in his sleep. Moke continued to annoy Ian until he got up and closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. Moke then snuggled closer to me, nestling his head under my chin and I felt a pair of lips at my temple. I smiled softly and Ian's hand ruffled my hair. When I heard him leave the room, I peered down at Moke who was purring happily.

"You know, me and you, we're pretty lucky." I told him and Moke meowed in agreement. I continued to pet him for a little while longer until I smelled waffles wafting from the kitchen. I begrudgingly left the warm bed and carried Moke with me into the kitchen. Ian stood with his back to us as he cooked breakfast and I placed Moke down to hug my boyfriend around his waist.

"Hi handsome." I greeted softly and Ian turned in my hold to plant a chaste kiss on my lips.

"Morning. Breakfast will be ready in a few." He told me before going back to making it. I then went to the cabinet to grab some food for Moke and put it in his bowl.

"Good, because I want to head to the gym for a little while." I sat down at the table.

"You're on vacation." Ian raised an eyebrow at me as he set our plates down.

"So? I want to keep myself on my routine." I said and watched Moke chow down.

Ian sat down beside me and kissed my cheek. "Are you all packed?"

"Yeah, I got most of it done last night. I have seriously been looking forward to some relaxation time." Ian and I had decided to go to France for our vacation and I couldn't be happier. I had never been to France before, but it was a place that I'd always wanted to go to. I just to pack a few things, but I was so ready to go. I couldn't wait to spend some quality relaxation time with my boyfriend. It would be tough leaving everyone, but they were all going on their own vacations. We even talked about meeting up somewhere in the middle. It was amazing how even though we spent 10 months out of the year with each other, but when we were on break, we still wanted to spend more time with each other. Everyone in the cast was going all over the world to relax or visit family, but we all decided on spending some time with the cast before we all went back to work. I hadn't heard anything about the upcoming season, but I didn't want to focus on that right now. I wanted to enjoy my vacation and not think about the show. I finished up my breakfast and got dressed for the gym because I wanted to get there in time for my session with my personal trainer, Vinny. I walked out into the bedroom and saw Ian still in his pajamas typing away at a computer with Moke in his lap.

"I'm off." I kissed him chastely.

"Tell Vinny that I say hi." He stuck his tongue out at me.

I rolled my eyes and zipped up my sweatshirt. "Don't be jealous. It's not a good look on you." When I told Ian that I had gotten a personal trainer, he was a bit hesitant hearing that it was a guy. I guess I would feel the same way if Ian came home and told me that he had some fit blonde as a personal trainer. I liked Vinny, he was a really nice guy and he was educating me more about my body. Ever since I started, I was eating healthier and my body never looked and felt better. And even when I was on break I still wanted to keep up with my exercise routine. Hmm, I'd never been to a gym in Paris before.

"Well, some buff guy is watching my girlfriend work out." He looked up from his emails.

"He has to see if I'm doing the motions right." I defended. "God forbid I pull a muscle or something and then they'd have to replace me on the show. You wouldn't want that now, would you?"

"Fine." He grumbled. I kissed Ian on the cheek and he tapped my behind. "Have a good time, okay?" He smiled up at me and I ruffled his hair.

"I will, handsome."

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><p>"Good job, Kate! One more set and you're done." Vinny praised and I nodded before resting for a few seconds and then going back to the beginning of my circuit to start again. I did a series of exercises like squats, crunches, lunges, push-ups, weights - all that fun stuff. I had been at the gym for two hours and I was sweating like a pig. My hair was tied up in a high bun and my sweat shirt was in the locker room with the rest of my belongings. I completed each work-out in the circuit and Vinny handed me a towel.<p>

"Good job, kid." He held his hand up and I high-fived him.

"Thanks." I smiled and toweled off my face and collarbone. "Oh, just letting you know that I won't be here for the next few weeks. I'm going on vacation."

Vinny gave me a bright smile. "Very nice. Where are you headed?"

"Paris."

"Wow," he whistled. "That boyfriend of yours knows how to spoil you."

"That he does." I chugged down some of my water bottle. Vinny obviously knew who I was and he knew Ian too. I was finding it harder and harder to go out places without being chased down by fans. Thankfully at this gym, everyone just did their own thing. I did receive a few stares from some people, but they kept going with their work-outs.

I thanked Vinny immensely for his time and I hopped up onto one of the many treadmills to do a little jog to cool down. Each treadmill had a television screen mounted on the front and an earphone dock where you could plug in earphones and listen in. I normally brought my iPod with me to work-out, but I would keep the TV on. I was doing a light jog and jamming out to Hello by Karmin when something on the screen caught my attention. I could make out two people standing outside a bar at night and when I squinted my eyes, I could see that it was Joseph and I. I yanked my headphones from my iPod and immediately plugged it into the TV so I could hear everything.

_"Vampire Diaries stars Joseph Morgan and Kate Walker were caught canoodling last week outside of a bar in downtown Atlanta when the cast had wrapped after a long day of filming. As seen in this photograph, Joseph and Kate look pretty cozy talking with one another while waiting for a car to pick them up. Some paparazzi tell us, "They were very comfortable with one another. They were all laughs and smiles."_

I had stopped the treadmill by now and was just looking at the screen in awe. I didn't even see anyone around that night. I'll admit, I was a little tipsy, but I would have remember seeing a flash or hearing someone taking pictures in the bushes. This was one of the downsides to being in the public eye. People were always around you and the simplest things, like talking with another person, were completely blown out of proportion. Joseph and I just talked that night. There was absolutely nothing about the photograph that suggested anything romantic going on between the two of us.

"Seriously?!" I shouted and hadn't realized how loud I was until I noticed that people were turning around and staring at me. I gave them an apologetic look and went back to listening to the television.

_"Kate and Joseph first started working on the show together at the end of the show's second season and their characters, Cassandra and Klaus often cross paths on the show because of a previous romance. I wouldn't too comfortable, Joseph. Reports have been made that Kate is dating on-screen romance and co-star, Ian Somerhalder, but neither of them have commented on this."_

I angrily unplugged my headphones and jumped off the treadmill. I stomped to the locker room, emptied my locker and stuffed my things in my bag. With a loud huff, I sprinted out of the gym and dialed up Nina.

_"I just saw it."_ She didn't even have to ask what I was calling about.

"I don't know where these people come up with these things, honestly. I don't get it." I told her as I walked to my car. I saw paparazzi waiting outside the gym and I wanted to slug each one of them.

_"Listen, they will say what they need to say in order to sell. You know that."_ Nina tried to console me.

"I know, but I want them to leave my life alone." I took out my keys, ready to get in my car, but that didn't stop questions from being yelled at me.

"Hey Kate! How are you today?"

"You hit the gym? What do you do to keep in shape?"

"Any plans for your vacation time?"

"Are you going away with Ian?"

"Who is on the phone? Who are you talking to?"

"Is it Joseph?"

I wanted to scream. I wanted to just push them away and scream at the top of my lungs for them to leave me alone, but I had to keep myself as calm as possible. I could vaguely hear Nina talking to me and asking if I was okay, but I just couldn't focus.

"Guys, I wish I could stay and chat, but I have to run." I told them and unlocked my car.

"Aw, come on! Can't you give us something?" One stuck his camera in my face.

"No, not with your camera that close in my face." I growled and slammed the car door as soon as I was in the car. They were begging me to stay and answer some questions, but all I wanted to do was run them over and speed away. I started up my car and they surprisingly moved out of the way very quickly. I guess they'd heard about one too many of their friends being run down by pissed off celebs and I hightailed it out of the parking lot and back to the apartment.

Going on vacation sounded amazing right now.

* * *

><p>Thankfully the coming weeks had sped by and Ian and I were boarding a plane for France. I told him what happened with the paparazzi leaving the gym and he saw the report about Joseph and me, but he seemed unfazed by the entire thing. Ian, being the caring boyfriend that he is, was trying his best to calm me down even though I was fuming.<p>

_"Kate—"_

_"I'm sorry Ian, but I am just so mad!" I growled and paced the floor. "How can they say things and print things that aren't true?"_

_"They want to sell as many copies as they can. You know that." He watched me with careful eyes._

_"I do know that, but it's someone's life they are lying about. You know that nothing happened that night between Joseph and__me. I am so angry that I just want to scream!" I was now at my suitcase, throwing some last minute items into it._

_"So do it." I heard him say and I turned to face him._

_"What did you say?"_

_"I said do it." Ian repeated. "Scream if you want."_

_"What? No, I can't scream." I shook my head._

_"Kate, you said that you were so angry that you wanted to scream, so do it." He said. "Get it out. Get all of that anger out."_

_I faced him and took a deep breath. This was ridiculous. He was asking me to scream at the top of my lungs, but as silly as it sounded, I obliged him and screamed._

_Loud._

_So loud that I felt my throat burn. So loud that I could hear my voice echo in the bathroom. So loud that Ian cringed slightly. So loud that Moke woke up from his nap and jumped underneath the covers of the bed. When I ran out of breath, I stopped and sat down on the floor, my knees too weak to keep me up. I felt tears at the corners of my eyes and I quickly wiped them away, feeling so embarrassed to be crying over something so stupid. I was wiped. My body was overtired and my stress level was at an all time high. I wanted to curl up and shut out the entire world. Ian frowned seeing me like this and sat beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and I snuggled into him._

_"Better?" He asked into my hair and I nodded. "It's okay. You can cry."_

_I sniffled and wiped more of my tears away. "It's stupid to cry."_

_"No it's not. Some days you just have to cry, Kate." He gently kissed my hair and I let it go. I cried into his chest and held onto him until I had no more tears left. He rubbed my back and promised me that things would be okay while I cried. Moke's head popped out from under the covers, seeing that he was safe from my screams and he hopped down from the bed. He padded over to us and climbed in my lap, nuzzling his head under my chin and purring softly. Ian and I both giggled at his antics, but it was very sweet in a way. Moke always had a way of telling when Ian or I weren't right and he would jump in. When we weren't feeling well or just bummed, he'd do his best to make us feel better. In that moment, I had never felt so comforted in my entire life. I had gone from feeling completely empty and alone to feeling like I had a shoulder to lean on. In this case, I had both Ian and Moke. The three of us together were like our own little family and I completely realized how lucky I was._

I shook away the memory as we boarded the plane and wanted to think of happier things as Ian and I were destined for our vacation destination. I practically bounced around like a little kid when we were seated on the plane; I so was excited to just get there and see all there was to see. I got comfortable in my seat and leaned against Ian's shoulder. The way I saw it in my mind, if I could sleep the entire 8 hour plane ride then I'd be good to go. I had been on an 8 hour flight before when I went to Italy to visit my family, but I didn't sleep through that flight. How could I? I was so excited to see my cousins, aunts, and uncles that I was up for a full 8 hours. Needless to say I quickly crashed after landing and fell asleep, but that helped me in the long run.

On this flight, however, I did manage to fall asleep. Maybe it was because Ian was such a good pillow or maybe it was because I had been craving sleep the past few days. I find that when I come off of shooting for a show, my body craves sleep because I'm up at all hours of the night shooting. I have become quite the night owl just by working on the show. I was awakened by Ian nudging me and telling me that we had arrived and I shot out of my seat. I lugged my giant carry-on from the overhead bin and Ian and I were on made our way off the plane and into the airport. A limo awaited us and that would be our transportation to our apartment during our stay. The driver took our bags and placed them in the trunk, assuring us that our luggage would be at the apartment even before we arrived and we were on our way.

The car ride to the apartment was a little longer than I'd hoped, but it gave me a chance to glue my face to the window and watch as everything passed me by. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the people, it all enchanted me so much that the limo driver kept asking Ian if I was alright because I hadn't moved from the window. Ian chuckled watching me and patted my bottom since I was up on my knees, but I didn't move from my spot.

"If you keep staring, your eyes are gonna fall out," he tsked playfully at me and pulled me away from the window. I didn't expect him to use his full strength but I was soon draped over his lap, looking up at him.

"Sorry, but I've never been to France before. So, sue me if I'm a little excited!" I giggled happily. Ian had been to France before, so he had already seen the things that enchanted me so. He'd been a lot more places than I have been because of his modeling and acting career.

"I'm excited too. I'm just not making the limo driver nervous." He tapped the tip of my nose with his finger. I stuck my tongue out at him and Ian leaned down to nip at it but I quickly put it back in my mouth. "Tease."

"Nope." I shook my head and pushed myself back up so I was sitting in his lap. "So, what is on the agenda for our trip, Mr. Somerhalder?"

"Well, I was thinking dinner at the finest restaurants, sight-seeing, the works." He played with one of my curls.

"I can't wait." I beamed and I was suddenly aware of him staring at me. "Take a picture, it'll last longer." I joked.

"Have I ever told you that you're beautiful today?" He asked me and I shook my head.

"Not yet. No."

Ian's warm hands cupped my cheeks and I was sure that he could feel the heat under them. He pulled me close, so that our noses were touching and his eyes were gazing into mine. "You're beautiful." He then gave me a slow, passionate kiss that if I was standing, my knees would have locked and I would have fallen over.

* * *

><p>When we stepped inside the apartment, my jaw nearly hit the floor. It was magnificent! I immediately dropped my bags and started exploring. The walk-in area lead to a living roomdining room setup with white covered chairs and a long mahogany table that could fit at least twelve people. The living room attached to it had a couch, a few chairs and a fire place that wasn't lit now, but it would create quite the mood during dinner. Winding down another small hallway were two master bathrooms, each complete with a sunken in bathtub which faced the window, a glass walled shower, a toilet, and a sink. Each room was absolutely amazing and I was getting super excited to see the bedroom. I opened up a white door and gasped seeing what was inside. A king sized bed sat against the back wall of the room and it had tall, intricately detailed bed frames. A vanity table with a similar design around the mirror was diagonal to the bed and a stool was stored underneath it. The setting sun streamed through the balcony window which was lined with soft white curtains. All in all, the apartment was amazing!

"Do you like it?" Ian's voice rang from behind me and I turned around, nearly tackling him with a hug.

"I love it! Did you see the bathrooms? I could swim laps in the tub!" I babbled excitedly.

"I do like the bathrooms, but I like the bedroom better." He grinned and kissed me. I tossed my purse aside and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him into me. Ian's hand groped my behind and I took it as a hint to hop up and lock my ankles behind his waist. He walked us over to the giant bed and plopped me down on it. He hovered over me and kissed at my neck while he worked on bringing the zipper down on my sweatshirt. Once he got it open, I helped him take it off me and I yanked his shirt over his head, revealing his toned body. I took off his fedora and flung it like a frisbee across the room and he chuckled into my neck before kissing me hard on the lips. I shivered when his hands were trailing over the swell of my breasts and I broke the kiss to sigh softly. He slid his hands under my shirt, ridding me of it and he peppered kisses along my lace covered breasts.

"Ian...wait." My soft call made him stop and he sat up.

"What's wrong, Kate?" He asked, a little bit of worry shone in his eyes.

"Nothing's wrong. I just feel...icky."

"Icky?" Ian repeated with a strange look.

"Yeah...I, I mean we both smell like an airplane." Call me crazy, but I hated the smell of an airplane and after flying in one, the first place I went after I got off the plane was the shower. I just felt dirty and gross after being in one. I would feel much better after a nice long shower. Ooh, or maybe a bath!

Ian took a whiff of himself and whistled low at the smell. "Damn, you're right. So, let's get washed up and dressed. We have dinner reservations in a few hours."

I jumped off the bed and skidded toward the bathroom. "Race you!" I didn't get very far before I felt Ian's arms around my waist and him hoisting me up over his shoulder.

"Looks like I caught you. Hmm, now what shall I do with you?" He smirked and smacked my behind.

"Mm, whatever you want." I purred back to him as he kicked the door closed behind us.

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><p>Okay, so we were a little late for our reservation, but that was only because Ian wanted to take my clothes off rather than help me put them on. The hostess sat us at a private table in the back of the restaurant and Ian pulled my chair out so I could sit down. He sat across from me and a waiter poured us glasses of wine.<p>

"This is a beautiful place." I smiled at my boyfriend. "I am very impressed."

"You make it seem like I don't know how to pick out a decent place." He joked.

"Oh, stop. No need to be a drama queen." I stuck my tongue out at him just as the waiter came back to take our order. He spoke with a heavy French accent, so I tried to understand him as best as I could without making me look like an idiot. I took Spanish as a language in high school because I thought that I would never use French in my life. Meanwhile, here I was in Paris in a fancy Parisian restaurant with my boyfriend.

What a kick in the ass!

The waiter took our orders and Ian held my hand across the table. The way he was looking at me was making my cheeks heat up and I bit my lip.

"What's that look for?" I brushed a curl that was falling across my eye aside.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world." Ian replied and kissed my hand. Damn, I love it when he did that. I'd always seen it done in romantic movies and I wanted to have it happen to me. It made me swoon and Ian knew that. I decided on a slimming, short royal blue dress for dinner and I had my hair down and curly. Nude pumps framed my dainty feet and I nudged Ian's knee with the toe of one of them.

"You don't look so bad either. You clean up nice, handsome." I winked. He was dressed in black dress slacks, a white button down and a black blazer. He threw me that Damon smirk as he fixed his tie. Dressed like the way he was, it reminded me a lot like Damon's attire that he wore on the show. It was interesting how a lot of clothes from our character's closets found their way into our own closets. Many a time I asked if I could have an item from Cassandra's closet or a piece of jewelry from the costume department. Most times they would honor my requests, but other pieces had to stay locked away. Cassandra's engagement ring was one of those pieces along with the daylight rings of each character on the show.

Our food came and more wine was poured as we enjoyed each other's company. We received a few stares from couples in the restaurant because we were laughing a little loudly, but I honestly couldn't care. It felt so nice to relax and spend some quality time with Ian. We spent a lot of time on the show together, but getting to talk and laugh with one another while on vacation was like paradise to me. Our time spent together was always so special to me. We'd learn new things about each other and find things to laugh about; it made our relationship more interesting and it kept it alive.

"I want to get a dog." Ian announced out of the blue and I giggled, taking another sip of my wine.

"Ian, we are barely home. It won't be fair to the dog if no one is home to show it love." I pointed out.

"I have family near Atlanta that can watch it while we're filming." He said.

"And what about Moke? I don't think he would be happy with a dog in the house." The thought of Moke trying to steal attention from a dog made me chuckle.

"Moke will be fine with it. I've had friends come over the apartment with dogs and he is okay with it." He flagged the waiter down for the check.

"We'll think about it, okay?" When he wasn't looking, I fished around for my credit card in my bag. There was no way he was getting the check this time. The waiter came by and just as he placed the check on the table, I snatched it up, getting an odd look from both Ian and the waiter.

"C'mon, Kate." Ian held his hand out for the check and I shook my head.

"Nope. You always pay for dinner and you always treat me. Now it's my turn to treat you." I opened the check and placed my card inside. I snuck a peek at the price and handed it back to the waiter. Now, normally I'd cringe seeing and $800 bill for dinner, but it didn't faze me as much anymore. Sure, it was a lot of money to shell out, but it was almost a norm for me after being wined and dined by Ian. Or even when the cast and crew went out to dinner, we'd run up a hefty dinner check and bar tab, so I was almost used to paying a lot. The waiter rushed off and Ian tsked at me.

"You shouldn't be paying for dinner, young lady."

"And why not? I should be able to pay for things once and a while. I am a working woman after all." I said proudly as I finished my glass of wine. I saw Ian pouting a bit and I rolled my eyes. "Jeez, don't pout at me like that. Just say thank you and you can worry about thanking me later."

Ian's eyes lit up and he smirked at me. "Oh, I will definitely by thanking you when we get back home."

* * *

><p>Since the restaurant and the apartment were within five minutes of each other, we decided to walk hand in hand down the streets. The people that were out minded their own business and didn't pay any attention to us. I didn't see any photographers and was relieved that I didn't have to dodge them. It felt very out of the ordinary for us to enjoy a quiet walk or a nice dinner because people were always breathing down our necks. Ian's thumb brushed against the back of my hand and I bumped my hip against his playfully. He twirled me in a circle as we walked down the street and I giggled like a girl who had fallen head over heels. Truth be told, I was a girl who was head over heels in love. Never in my life had I been so happy with another person and where I was in life. I was very lucky to be blessed with amazing people, an amazing job, and just an amazing life. At times it was difficult, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.<p>

We came up to the apartment door and I reached for my keys, but was suddenly turned around and pressed into the door. Before I could ask why Ian did that, his lips were on mine in a passionate kiss. I hugged him close to me and moaned against his lips feeling him pressing into my thigh. His hands held my hips, his fingers squeezing and kneading the fabric of my dress as he kissed me harder. I nipped at his bottom lip and slipped my tongue in his mouth when I heard a noise.

I suddenly broke away and looked around. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Ian asked and followed my eyes.

"That noise. You didn't hear it?" I squinted in the dark, but couldn't see anything.

"No, I didn't hear anything." He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and kissed my cheek. "Let's get you inside. I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise? For me?" I smiled and shook off my paranoia as I stepped inside the apartment. Ian locked the door behind us and I placed my purse on the table by the door. My eyes then caught the sight of deep red rose petals on the floor. I followed the path with a grin on my lips and they led me to the bedroom. Lit candles were scattered all around the room and the petals stopped at the foot of the bed with some on it.

"Oh, Ian." I gasped. "It's wonderful."

I could feel him smiling even though I couldn't see him. "I'm glad you like it." His chest was pressed into my back and I felt his hand move my hair away from my neck. He peppered the skin with kisses and his fingers dragged the zipper on my dress down. I wiggled out of it and it pooled onto the floor and I turned in his hold. I tugged on his tie and kissed him heatedly, brushing my tongue over his bottom lip. Ian growled as I unbuttoned his shirt and pants, wanting to get him naked as quickly as possible. Clothes were discarded and our bodies were rolling around on the bed.

My hands were in his hair, nails gently raking over his scalp as he made love to me. His lips brushed over any piece of skin he could find and would occasionally bite down on the sensitive parts of my neck. The candlelight danced around us and the shadows of our thrusting bodies were projected up on the wall. Our moans of pleasure pierced the silence in the room and the rose petals tickled our skin as we became one. Ian being deep inside me was absolute ecstasy and I didn't want this night to end; I didn't want this vacation to end. I was enjoying myself way too much and I didn't want to let this experience go. My walls underwent palpitation after palpitation but we never stopped for a moment. We would spend some time in one position before switching to another one and we would take turns leading until we were both ready to burst with pleasure.

We called each other's names out into the night as we reached our completion and we collapsed in a heap on the bed. Our sweaty bodies mingled together as hues of blues and browns mixed in loving stares. Words of love and sweet kisses were shared as well and I blushed deeply hearing each charming word he spoke to me. Fingers and hands gave gentle caresses and massages as our eyes grew tired and weary. The flames in the candles were snuffed out, plunging the room into darkness and we snuggled closer into each other's bodies for warmth. Ian pulled the covers over us, kissing my hair as we both succumbed to the lulling waves of sleep that pulled us along like how the ocean pulls a wave back from the shore.

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><p><strong>Well, hello everyone! How long has it been? That long, huh...I am so sorry for the long wait, but my muse manages to run away from me a lot. She's a pain in the ass. I think Ian kidnaps her and now I see why she doesn't want to come back ;) I hope that you all enjoyed this update! Let me know what you'd like to see next and please review!<strong>

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><p><strong>grapejuice101:<strong> Thanks for reviewing, girl and for your help as always :)

**aireagle92:** Sorry that it took so long to update, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Silently Tearful:** Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed the update! I thought that it would be interesting to add in something about The Originals because the backdoor pilot will occur in late Season 4 :)

**atayn:** Thanks for reviewing :) Hope you enjoyed the new chapter!

**DatGirlDest:** Thanks, girl! Glad you like my story so far :)

**binks13:** Thank you for reviewing as always :) Glad you enjoyed the Dragon Con and the usual Ian/Kate banter, LOL!

**lovinurbuks:** Here's your update! Hope you enjoyed it :)

**pannech: **Thank you for reviewing! Glad you liked the smut I added in the beginning ;) Hope you enjoyed this update!

**Guest: **Fiji? Hmm, I've never been to Fiji. Maybe I'll have Ian and Kate go there another time! Thanks for your review :)

**Kayla: **Yay! I'm back...again! Nate seems like the kind of guy who you can joke with. At least he seems that way at the panels. Thank you for reviewing!

**xJenzaFreakx: **Thanks, girl! Ian can kind of be the jealous type, but he is very comfortable with Kate. They have a lot of trust in each other and I think that is why their relationship is successful. I've always thought about writing a fic that was about the actors on TVD because they seem like really nice people and that they genuinely like each other.

**Laura-LaLa: **Thanks for reviewing! Hehe, cool down, girl ;) I am so glad that you enjoy my stories and I hope that you keep reading!

**SomebodyWhoCares: **I was honestly thinking about Italy or Spain, but I had Cassandra and Damon go to both places, so I wanted Ian and Kate to have their own vacation destination. But thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed reading this update :)

**malu2105****: **Well, hello from New York! I have always wanted to go to Brazil! I have heard that it is a beautiful country! I will have to visit sometime :) Thank you for reviewing!

**Guest:** Thanks so much for reviewing! Please, don't ever feel like your question was meant as rude. I didn't think that way at all :) Well, I do want to have a balance between the smut and the work between the show. It is kind of like a bunch of one-shots, but they are going in order with the show. I hope that you enjoyed this update :)

**Lycan Lover 411:** Thanks, girl! Glad you're liking my smut and the conventions! I like to keep it all balanced and I hope to hear from you soon! I miss our PMs!

**Nicole:** Thank you for reviewing! I have never seen that convention, but I will have to look for it! Do you remember the name, date, and place where it was?

**blackcat711:** Thanks girl! Glad you like it!

**Guest:** Thank you for reviewing! A tropical paradise will definitely be on the list next!

**VampirePrincess11:** Thanks girl! Hope you enjoyed this update!

**snmuenst:** I would LOVE to have Kate on the Ellen Degeneres show again! Thank you for reviewing!

**Jk: **Here's your update :D

**MegaRockinDebby:** Thanks girl! I am so happy that you're enjoying this story and I hope that you enjoyed this update!

**Cori:** Thanks babe! I figured that you'd like it ;)

**Guest:** Here's your update! Sorry for the long wait!

**L:** Thank you for reviewing! There are stories like this with Paul Wesley, but they normally pair him with Nina Dobrev.

**The Things You Wish You Knew:** Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like it :)

**Nicole:** Here is your update! So sorry that it took so long :(


	25. Another Note

I know that a lot of you have been asking me when I am going to update this story. I apologize for the long waits in between chapters, however, this story has been very difficult for me to write. My muse constantly likes to take long vacations and because of the long gaps between chapter updates, I have received a lot of nasty messages basically telling me to update or else. Along with that, I have also gotten very negative reviews and bad feedback telling me that I should get writing and update sooner. This onslaught of negativity has really made me want to delete my account and stop writing for good.

Here's the deal.

I write because it is an escape for me and I am sure that a lot of you find yourself on Fanfiction to escape too. **I love writing these stories.** I never thought that I was good at it until I got such positive feedback and a hell of a following. That being said, I am asking all of you please continue to be patient with me when it comes to updating this story or my other stories. I believe that you guys, my readers, deserve the best damn chapters and I certainly will not stand for uploading a chapter that I am not happy with. I like taking time on my chapters because my readers deserve nothing but the best of my work.

That being said, I love hearing from you guys. Got a suggestion? Shoot it my way. Got a question? Please ask it. Just want to say hi? Send me a message. However, if you are going to leave negativity on this story or any other story, I don't want it at all. To my amazingly faithful readers, I love each and every one of you to the moon and back - I really mean that. Without you, I'd still have these crazy stories of mine in a notebook stuffed in the back of my dresser drawer. Please continue to give me your positive energy and support and I send all of that good energy back your way because I want nothing but the best for all of you.

I hope to catch up on backlogged works soon :)


	26. Wedding of the Century

**Love Like This**

**Chapter 25: Wedding of the Century**

**Beta:****PrincessOfSilence**

**Disclaimer:****I own nothing of TVD or TO. I only own my characters and my story.**

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><p>"Wake up! Wake up!"<p>

I groaned loudly and thrust the comforter over my head, trying desperately to fall back asleep, but the sudden sensation of my mattress rocking about was making me dizzy. The comforter was then thrown off me and I looked up to see Nina, Candice, Kat and Lena jumping on my bed with excitement. Lena Vastardis was casted to play Giuliana Ricci on the show. She'd done a few cameos in shows and has worked with Nina, Ian and a few of the other actors on the show. We've had some scenes together and she is a terrific actress. She's taught me a lot and we've become really good friends.

"Guys," I checked my cell phone and had to blink a bunch of times at the time. "It's 4am; my alarm doesn't go off till 4:30am. Go back to sleep."

"We're too excited to sleep." Lena beamed at me.

"Hello! You're getting married today!" Candice added.

Married?

Oh, yeah!

Today we would film scenes from Damon and Cassandra's wedding. It would be featured as a special during the month long hiatus to hold viewers over. I guess my cast mates were much too excited to go back to sleep, so I decided that I didn't need that extra half an hour of sleep. I mean that sarcastically of course. In my line of work, sleep is precious and when you get the chance to sleep, you take it. Seeing them so anxious to start filming got me happy too. Looking back at my first episode on the show, I couldn't believe that I was still alive, a permanent character, and getting married to television's hottest vampire.

Eat your heart out, Robert Pattinson!

"Come on, let's get you into make-up early." Nina dragged me out of bed and threw me something to wear. It didn't feel like anything I wore, so I scrunched my nose and turned on the light in my dressing room. In my hands was a white satin robe with the words, "Here comes the bride!" sewn on the back with sequins.

"Oh, Nina!" I gushed and put the robe on over my pajamas. "You shouldn't have! It's beautiful! Thanks!"

"Told you she'd like it." Candice grinned and took my hand. "Let's go!"

As we walked through set on the way to make-up, a lot of cast and crew members chuckled at my robe, but I flaunted it anyways. Hey, it looked super cute on me! Even the hair and make-up ladies loved it. I let them get started on their work and exchanged some idle chit-chat with them. I normally don't like to speak to the make-up girls while they are working because let's face it, it's hard to apply lip liner or lipstick to someone who is talking, but the girls liked talking to me. I'd just make sure to stop when it came time for lipstick.

As my hair was being put up in rollers and the girls were shading my eyes, I began to get a little anxious. Not so much about getting married on television, but about my relationship with Ian. Now, before people start worrying, everything is fine. Everything is great, actually. Ian and I are so in love and we make each other happy which is something that I am so thankful for. We bring out the best in each other and work through the hard times; it has made our relationship so strong. When we came home from vacationing in Paris, I was unpacking and putting things away while Ian was out at the gym. I hummed curiously seeing one of Ian's shirts in my suitcase, but I thought nothing of it. It must have been put there by accident, I told myself. I took the shirt to Ian's dresser and opened up the drawer, but seeing what was tucked in the corner made the shirt drop from my hands. It was a small black box with a white ribbon wrapped around it. I recognized the writing on the ribbon from a jewelry store we'd passed in Paris.

I was rooted to my spot. I physically couldn't move or take my eyes off the box. Ian and I had gone into that store quite a bit and I would spend my time looking at a lot of the pieces there. I even spied a few rings that I liked. Now, I was only 24, but with my serious relationship with Ian, it got me thinking a lot about the future. Getting engaged and married was something that I definitely wanted, but could Ian have picked out a ring and planned on proposing? No, he wouldn't have done that. We would have talked about it first? Did he even ask my parents before buying a ring? Maybe what was in the box wasn't a ring? No, it had to be a ring because what else would fit into a box that small? My stomach clenched and curiosity got the better of me as I reached towards the box.

"Wow! You look beautiful!" Kat's compliment made me smile widely. I never found out what was in that box because I heard the door slam which meant that Ian had come home. So I put the box back and closed the drawer. I didn't dare ask him about it, but it kept me up at night.

My eyes then lifted to the mirror and I hardly recognized the woman in the reflection. For a few moments I was stunned and my brain couldn't function as I assessed how I looked. The smokey colors on my eyelids really brought out the brown in my eyes and my eyelashes were curled to perfection. A shimmering pink coated my full lips and my skin was practically glowing. My hair tumbled over my shoulders, the luscious curls framing my face. I leaned forward in the mirror and smiled at my reflection which made the other ladies smile in return.

I looked beautiful. I looked like a bride on her wedding day and boy was I so ready for it! Before going to wardrobe, I took some pictures with the girls and I even posted one to my Instagram. I posed with my back to the camera to show off my robe and I looked over my shoulder with a big smile on my face. The caption read something along the lines of 'today is the big day' and 'love getting presents from my amazing cast mates'. Fans had been eagerly awaiting when Damon and Cassandra would finally get married and even though episode 10 in season 4 hadn't aired yet, we always liked to give our viewers little hints along the way. Within seconds, I received tons of likes and comments from fans which made my heart swell. We were all very lucky to have such loyal fans to the show and the reason why we are in business is because of the incredible fan following that The Vampire Diaries has.

* * *

><p>After I stopped by wardrobe and got my wedding dress on—which was gorgeous, by the way—I sat with Nina in my dressing room while the boys were working on their scenes. We were just trying to relax and get ourselves into the proper mindset for getting ready to shoot, but my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of that ring box that was still sitting in Ian's draw. I would find myself zoning out and thinking about it so hard that I would get headaches from it. I would have hoped that Ian and I would have talked about getting engaged before he bought me a ring. Isn't that what you're supposed to do? At least, that's what I've heard. It also could be a gift for someone else, right? But why would he have hidden it? And if he bought a gift for someone, he would have shown me or at least asked my opinion when picking it out. Why was I stressing over this? I should be happy that Ian wants to settle down with me, right? But I'm only 24 and Ian is 34 which is a pretty steep age difference. I don't even know if I'm ready to get married.<p>

"Kate?" Nina's gentle hand on my arm made my thoughts come to a sharp halt. "Are you okay? You look really pale."

I swallowed the huge lump in my throat and nodded. "Yeah...I, uhm, I just don't feel too good."

"Did you eat this morning? I know we got you up super early...maybe you want to lie down until we're needed?" She offered and I had to smile at her. Nina had always been so good to me. She was like my second sister and took care of me throughout it all.

Again, my words had escaped me for some time again. Should I confide in Nina about finding that box? Or should I just keep my big mouth shut?

"Kate? I'm serious. Is something bothering you?" Poor Nina looked really concerned and I knew that she would keep pushing the issue until I spilled my guts to her.

"Well, uhm..." I trailed off awkwardly. I then pushed myself off the couch and rushed to the door. I peeked my head outside into the hallway to see that no one was around. Shutting and locking the door, I came back to sit beside Nina who looked anxious.

"Okay, you have to promise not to say anything to anyone. Do you understand?" I knew that I could trust Nina, but I did not want what I was about to tell her to go anywhere past these four walls.

"Of course. You have my word, Kate." She took my hands in hers and squeezed them. "Now you've got me nervous."

"No, no. Don't be nervous. I mean, I'm not...I mean, I am, but you shouldn't be." I was mess. My words and thoughts were all over the place, spiraling out of control.

"Kate, you're talking in circles. Just tell me."

I steadied myself with a deep breath before beginning. "When Ian and I came back from vacation, I found a small black box stuffed in the back of his drawer. The ribbon around the box had the name of a jewelry store in Paris written on it."

Nina's brown eyes grew incredibly wide and she even paled a bit too. We were both probably the same shade of pasty white. "Oh..."

"Yeah, oh." I copied. "Did Ian happen to mention anything to you?"

"Not a word." She shook her head. "I mean, come on, if Ian was going to get you a ring, he would have at least talked about it with you first."

"I know, but I just figured that you two are really good friends and that he might have said something to you."

"You know that I would have, Kate. It wouldn't even be a question." She fell back against the couch and sighed. "Did you open the box?"

"No," I grumbled. "I heard Ian come home, so I put the box back. I tried to look at it again, but he must have hidden it because it isn't in the drawer."

Nina chewed on her bottom lip anxiously and I wrung my hands in my lap. "Do you think he'd really...propose?"

"I don't know, Nina. I'm just scared." I admitted and she tilted her head to the side.

"Scared? But why?" She wondered.

"I've never given my heart to anyone before. Ian is a terrific guy and we love each other very much. He made it so easy for me to love him and I guess, I'm worried that it's all too good to be true." I replied sadly. "I've seen relationships where things go sour and people drift apart. I wouldn't ever want that to happen to us. What if he changes his mind? What if he wakes up and realizes that he doesn't love me anymore? I don't think I'd be able to go on. I'd be heartbroken."

Nina smiled warmly at me and took my hands again to comfort me. She could tell that my eyes were welling up with tears and that I needed her shoulder more than anything right now. She hugged me to her and I let the tears fall down my cheeks. Her hands rubbed along my back and she kept telling me that everything was going to be okay. Nina was good like that; she had a way of making me feel better and could make any of my problems seem like little specks. She grabbed some tissues and dried my eyes, cleaning the runny make-up from underneath them and took me by the shoulders.

"You listen to me. Ian loves you, Kate. He just adores you. He looks at you like you're the only thing in his world. I don't think I've ever seen him more in love." She told me. "How could he not want to love you? You are such an inspiration to him and because of you, he wants to be a better man - more so than he already is. I know that you scared and overwhelmed, but try to take things one step at a time, okay? I don't want you getting upset over the best thing that has ever happened to you."

I sniffled and grabbed more tissues, blowing my nose quite loudly and drying my tears. Nina was right. Ian was the best thing to ever happen to me and it was awfully silly to get so worked up over something as silly as a ring that might not even be mine. I hugged my friend tightly, thanking her for all she's done for me and the crew was calling us to the set. We stood up and Nina handed me my bouquet.

"Let's get you married."

* * *

><p>"Welcome back to E! News!"<p>

"Thanks so much for joining us!" The woman beamed. "I'm Cat Sadler."

"And I'm Jason Kennedy. Here's what's making news."

"What do you have for us, Jason?"

"Guys, we have some major Vampire Diaries spoilers and you're only gonna see them here. Earlier in the week, Kate Walker, who plays Cassandra Emerson, posted this adorable pic with Nina Dobrev, Kat Graham, and Candice Accola. Kate in a white robe with a bouquet of roses while her co-stars wore what looks like bridesmaids dresses. All four ladies were blowing kisses at the camera. And soon after that, Ian Somerhalder, also known as TVD bad boy Damon Salvatore, posted a picture to his Instagram account with Paul Wesley who plays his younger brother, Stefan Salvatore. The on-screen brothers were looking sharp in their suits with classic smirks in place." He reported.

"I don't know about you, Jason, but it sounds to me like there is a wedding in the works." Cat smirked.

"Well, Cat, there certainly is and I was lucky enough to head down to the set to talk with a few of the stars."

The television screen flashed to a bunch of different shots around the set. Crew members were lifting pieces and props into place while cast members were being coached by directors before scenes.

"It's like Twilight, but better!" Paul joked.

"I mean, look at all of the work that's been put into this!" Kate beamed.

"Because of the fans, this wedding is happening!" Ian said excitedly. "And we cannot thank our fans enough for their continued support of the show."

Another few clips of the cast mates were shown before a shot of Jason sitting across from Kate, Ian, and some of the other cast members.

"How has your life changed since being on this show?" He asked Kate who sat poised in her chair.

"Before the show, I was just a girl from a small town, doing her own thing, but now I can't go grocery shopping without being stopped or photographed. It's like my life has done a complete 180." She explained. "But I am so blessed for the opportunity that I have been given. I cannot stress that enough. Being a part of The Vampire Diaries will forever be a part of my life that I will never forget."

"Well, you look absolutely beautiful even though you are not in your costume yet." He smiled and Kate giggled.

"Isn't this cute? The girls on the show gave it to me as a gag gift."

"Can we get a sneak peak of what Cassandra's wedding gown will look like?"

Kate bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "No, no, no. If I told you, then I'd have to kill you."

"Uh oh!" Jason held his hands up in surrender. "I don't wanna mess with a hybrid."

"You certainly don't." She added. "I can tell you that Cassandra will have more than one dress. That's all I will say."

"What about the reaction you guys get from the fans? Tell me a bit about that."

Ian shifted in his chair to lean closer to Jason. "Let me tell you, the fans are what keep us going. When it's four in the morning and we're exhausted from shooting scenes all day or we're braving the hot and cold of Atlanta, the fan base continues to support us and show us so much love. It's a really beautiful thing."

"Now, we know that your character, Damon, will be getting married on the show."

"Yes, he is hanging up his dance card and becoming a one woman man which I think is great." Ian smiled.

Jason tilted his head to the side. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, I mean, we met Damon and he had such a chip on his shoulder. And as we were shooting way back in the beginning of the show, Julie Plec and some of the other writers wanted Damon to find someone who would be like his twin flame. So, they put their heads together and created this amazingly awesome character that managed to just steal his heart. We don't get to see Damon be vulnerable or to show affection, but with Cassandra, he does."

"Wow, so you really supported the decision of the writers to add in this character?"

"Oh, absolutely! For a long time, I didn't believe in love and through working on this character and his relationship with his girl, it's got me thinking a lot differently." He spoke. "I hope that when people watch the show, they want to have a relationship like Damon and Cassandra's."

"Does it feel a bit weird to you to be getting married on television?" Jason wondered.

"When I'm looking at it from my point of view, yeah it's kinda weird." Kate laughed. "But I have to put myself in Cassandra's mindset. You know, it isn't my wedding, it's hers."

"And have you ever thought about getting married maybe in the future?"

The actress looked taken off guard by the question. She stumbled on her words a bit, but managed to shake it off and keep her composure. "Uh, yeah, sure. I'd like to get married one day. I'm only twenty-four, so I've got some time."

Ian was posed the same question in his interview and he handled it with ease. "Definitely. 100%. I'm getting old, brother." His humor made Jason chuckle.

"So, you girls have treated it like a wedding for the entire day?"

Nina, Candice, and Kat all sat side by side and each of them looked at each other, trying to hide their giggles. They were dressed in their costumes and had taken a short break from shooting to finish the interview.

"Well, duh!" Candice nodded. "It's not every day you get to be in a vampire wedding party."

"If you were to throw Cassandra a bachelorette party, what would you have planned?" Jason questioned.

"Male strip club!" Nina shouted loudly.

"I second that." Kat jumped in.

"Me too!" Candice added.

"Watch out! The girls on TVD are wild!" He joked and the girls all high-fived each other.

"We like to have as much fun on the set as possible." Candice said. "Especially since a lot of us spend time away from our families. It's nice to come to work every day with people that make you smile."

"In a way, we're all family here." Kat added with a warm smile. "These girls have been my rocks and I can always come to them whenever I need them."

"I love my TVD family." Nina declared proudly and put her arms around her friends' shoulders.

"And I love you guys!" Kate jumped in the frame and hugged the girls. "But seriously, we've gotta get back to shooting."

"Absolutely! Thanks so much for talking to us." Jason shook everyone's hands and the screen faded to black.

* * *

><p><strong>The outpouring of positive words and support from my readers has been such a confidence boost. I cannot put into words how thankful I am to have such faithful readers who are so understanding and are willing to wait for an update no matter how long it takes. You all inspire me to be a better writer. I love all of you who have continued to support me along my writing journey.<strong>

**Does Ian wanna put a ring on it? How will Kate react? How will this change their relationship? Only time will tell ;) Please leave a review!**

* * *

><p><strong>Guest: <strong>Here is your update!

**I: **Hi there! Here is your update. I am not abandoning this story, so please don't worry :)

**Guest: **Here's your update! Hope you enjoyed it!

**DatGirlDest: **I'm back, girl! Hope you liked reading this update :)

**19irene96****: **Thank you, dear :) College is going well – did awesome this semester! Hope you enjoyed this update!

**thephantom'srose1209: **Wow! Thank you so much! I am so glad that you are enjoying this story!

**Guest: **Thanks for reviewing! Here is your update :)

**Guest: **Excuse me for having a life and responsibilities. The next time you feel the need to call me a bitch, do me a favor and don't.

**xJenzaFreakx: **You are absolutely fabulous, girly! You're freakin' awesome and thank you so much for your kind words! It really lifted my spirits and kept me writing. I hope you enjoyed this update and I'll talk to you soon :)

**Guest: **Ah, your muse and my muse are probably on vacation together LOL! I hope that yours comes back soon, so that you can update your stories. Thanks so much for reviewing and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter!

**Laura-LaLa: **Yeah…unfortunately, people can be super negative which is always a downer because I work so hard to get chapters written an updated. But thank you so much for your positivity and kind words. You're amazing and here is your update!

**TwilightNewMoonEclipseMidnight: **I hope that people stop being so negative too, but I certainly won't let them bother me. Thanks for reviewing and I hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter :)

**21angle: **Thankfully, some inspiration did hit and I hope that people liked this chapter. Thank you for your ongoing support :)

**Guest: **Thank you so much for your patience, my dear! Here is an update for you and I hope that you like it!

**Guest: **Thanks for being so understanding. I mean, this story is FAR from perfect and I know that. Hope you enjoyed this update!

**Chrisgonz13:** Thanks for being so understanding. I mean, this story is FAR from perfect and I know that. Hope you enjoyed this update!

**Jade Hazel Kurtson: **Thanks Jade! Hope you enjoyed this update!

**89: **Ahh, I have thought about adding Nikki Reed into this story. She will make an appearance soon ;) Thanks so much for understanding and reviewing!

**don't worry: **Wow! My biggest fan?! That just made my day! I am so glad that you are enjoying this story! Thanks for your support and for reviewing!

**gloria cuevas 391****: **Thank you, my dear xoxo

**Lostgirllove: **It is not weird at all! I scream all the time when my favorite stories are updated ;) I even jump and dance around HAHA!

**Dreambitch: **Ahh! Loving all of your suggestions! I will definitely take them into consideration. Thank you so much for reviewing xoxo

**gloria cuevas 391: **Ooh, great idea! Not all things between Ian and Kate will be rainbows and unicorns. Something will happen that will make the road ahead a bit rocky. Thanks so much for reviewing!

**Padfoot Heir****: **No, this story was not frozen. I have just had a hard time trying to balance life and my muse constantly taking vacations LOL! If this or any of my stories were to be put on hiatus, I would always let my readers know. Hmm, I have yet to think about season 5, but I will be sure to make it awesome ;) Thank you so much for your support :)

**WickedlyMinx****: **Here it is, dear! Hope you liked it!


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